How do you say Goodbye?
by D-Seer
Summary: Jim and Aisha make such a cute couple, don't they? (ch1)What happens when Jim wakes up Aisha at 3:30 in the morning working on taxes? (ch2)Aisha's order of Recall has arrived, How long will she be able to be apart from Jim?
1. Jim's Family

Authors note;  
Before we start, I remember a few things I should explain. First off, I don't own the Ship or the crew, or the series... [lone wolf howling in the back ground] 

Second; if this story becomes confusing, bear this in mind; The only people who are the narrators are those who come from the Official OLS Universe. Any characters I bring in won't have perspectives, or at least not written perspectives. 

That done; ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

**How do you say Goodbye;  
Jim's Family**

* * *

**Aisha- 3:30 AM**

The incessant clacking of the keyboard downstairs woke me from a really interesting dream... I don't really remember much about it except for the whole crew was part of it, and they were arguing over a dress? It seems funny now, but it was a serious affair in the dream.

At any rate, I glared fuzzily at the clock beside my bed. I think it said 12:20. I frowned in annoyance, reached over and hit piece of junk, and the clock reset to the proper time. 3:30.

I stumbled out of bed and downstairs, wearing only my nightgown, to find Jim at his desktop computer typing away.

I dragged a chair over by him. "Jim, don't you sleep? It's 3:30 in the morning, and even if you don't, I need to!"

He jumped about a foot and a half.

"Aisha, what are you doing awake?"

"Jim, I have the greatest hearing on the planet, as the only C'tarl-c'tarl on the planet." We were on Sentinel 3 still. They were letting me stay with them as I waited impatiently for a C'tarl-c'tarl vessel to come and pick me up. Gene and Mel got married about a year after we got back form the Galactic Leyline. Suzie had taken her entire collection of cash and invested it, with no real expectation of being paid back, in Starwind and Hawking Incorporated. We were able to pay off Fred, and outfit the Outlaw Star with some decent weapons.

All together, it had been five years since we had left the Leyline behind us. No matter how old Jim got, cute is the only word to really define him, I don't know why. His hair remained in the drooping blonde spikes he had wore five years ago. His sense of style has grown along with the rest of him, standing as he did at five foot nine inches.

"Aisha, go back to sleep."

The same big mouth, too.

"Hey Jim, why are you working at three-thirty in the morning?"

"It's the best time of the day to get some work done."

"You work all day!"

"With you and Gene floating around? Yeah, right!"

"Jim, when was the last twenty-four hour period when you did not glance at anything more technologically advanced, bar Melfina, than a telephone?"

He stopped typing, his mind searching back through his seventeen years in an attempt to prove my challenge wrong.

"That's it Jim, you are taking tomorrow off, and I am going to make sure that you have fun!"

"You? Aisha, our tastes are more than slightly different-"

"Only when it comes to fashion and food. The Carnival is in town, and we are going!"

"Aisha, I can't. I need to get this stuff done by the end of the week!"

"Jim, do you have any other monitors here?"

He paused, this line of questioning so much of a direct tangent, it took him a full ten seconds to dredge an answer out of his sleep clogged brain. "No, but-"

"Good." With that, I shoved my fist through the screen of the computer Jim was sitting at.

"Aisha, what do you think you're doing?!" he yelled.

"The Carnival opens at ten, I plan on us being on our way there by nine thirty, so we have to wake up at eight at the best!" I said as I picked him up by the front of his shirt. "We all know how hard it is to wake you up, but now, I know why!" I said as I carried him into his bedroom. "You need sleep if we are going to the carnival tomorrow, and yes, you are!" I said as I dropped him on his bed.

I looked down at him from all of my slightly enhanced six foot four. "Now, are you going to go to bed nicely, or do I have to chain you down?!" I asked, arms folded over my chest, looking down at Jim from glowing yellow eyes.

He reluctantly pulled his shirt off and got under the covers of his bed (which Melfina usually makes), and closed his eyes. I stood there for a few minutes, and listened as his breathing slowed, and his heartbeat calmed.

I ran my hand through his hair, and then left his room, turned off all the lights downstairs (I left the ruins of the computer alone), and crawled slowly back up to my room. I paused at my door and sent my hearing throughout the building.

Suzuka didn't sleep; she meditated in the room at the end of the hall. It's a state she calls _Zanshin_, umm... I think it means total awareness, zero focus. Maybe I ought to try to learn it from her?

Gene and Melfina shared the room at the other end, above the Kitchen, they were both sound asleep, and Jim, he was still sleeping his mind away.

I sighed as I went into my room, between Suzuka's room and the upstairs bathroom.

I looked around my room for the moment, and sighed. I picked up my photo album, one of the very few things I was able to retain a hold of since I was first exiled to blue heaven.

There was my was my family... and most importantly, my little brother.

I set the album on the floor, and laid down in my bed, set my alarm for seven fifty, and drifted softly to sleep, to resume the argument over the dress.

* * *

**Jim- 6:54, later same morning**

Of course I was bone tired, but between Aisha and Gene, the only time I could get some work done was past midnight. I'd have to look into getting a quieter keyboard if I wanted to keep it up though, I do NOT need Aisha coming down and scaring the crap outta me again!

"Aisha." I sighed as I lay in my bed about six minutes till seven. I've never been able to sleep past seven o'clock. She really looked good in her nightgown, it was a cream colored and almost reached the floor... I think it's made of satin. It's so unlike what she normally wears that you'd barely be able to tell that she was the same person who crewed the outlaw star with us. I'd've been about half tempted to believe that last night had been a dream... or a nightmare.... but I knew that on the other side of that door there was a computer that had the ruins of a monitor where I had been working last night.

Or was it early this morning?

I yawned, and luxuriously stretched, pulling about seventy percent of my muscular frame taut. In another hour, she'd probably come in and wake me up, but why does she want me to go with her to the fair?

I need to get a new monitor, I need to get the Taxes done, I have so much to do it's not even funny! I might as well start by getting breakfast.

* * *

**Aisha- 7:10**

My nose twitched, as I smelled bacon being cooked to a crisp. I took a deep breath and sighed in longing. I didn't really want to get up, but Bacon is far too good to pass up.

I expected to find Melfina in the kitchen. Instead, I found Jim.

"You can cook?!" I asked without thinking.

"Of course I can," he said, not looking away from the stove. "Who else would make breakfast for Gene?"

"Wow..." I murmured. Jim smiled, then turned to look at me, and abruptly turned back to the stove, his ears bright red.

"Umm, Aisha, I.... if I were you, I'd like... go do something about your clothes before Gene comes down."

I looked down at my nightgown and gasped. Dang, I must have gotten in a fight over that dress, I thought to myself as I blushed from top to toe. Jim, had he been looking, would have seen most of the blush. Without a word, I ran back upstairs.

* * *

**Jim- 7:12**

Hmmm... Poor Aisha. Melfina came down next.

"Jim, what happened to your computer?" she asked as she walked over and got the stuff for coffee for herself and Gene. I never had the taste for the stuff (Though I drink it when I need to wake up.), Suzuka always preferred Tea, and Aisha has more energy than she needs, and always avoids the drink.

"Ummm... I kinda woke up Aisha. She kinda got annoyed that I was working that late, and... Well, she made me go to bed."

"What time did this happen?"

"About three-thirty."

"I see... Will you be going anywhere today?"

"I need a new monitor at the very least, and Aisha has..." I paused, looking for the proper word. Promised doesn't sound right, but neither does threatened. "Well, I guess Aisha and I are going to the carnival."

"Sounds like Fun. I wish Gene would take me sometime."

"Melfina, Aisha and I don't really click the same way."

"Actually you do, just on different beats. You'll have fun." I looked sidelong at Melfina, my eyebrow raised. "Jim, you seem to think if you don't do everything it will never get done. I could do the books twice as well as you in half the time. Aisha is right, Jim, you do need to relax. And I believe that you will have fun today."

"But with Aisha?" Melfina only smiled as Gene came into the room.

"Good morning, Gene!"

"Hey Mel," he said going over to the bio-android, taking his coffee from her hand, and giving her a small... slow kiss.

I sat down, took a drink of my milk, quietly took my Eggs, Bacon, toast, and refilled my milk. I looked back at them, and they were still at it, and as funny as it was, I couldn't stand it anymore, not with my "date" to look forward to. I took another drink and slammed the cup on the table.

"Hardly decorous Jim." Suzuka said as she entered the kitchen, sat down, and poured her tea. I pointedly said nothing about her remark; I didn't want to give Gene any ammo.

"Jim is going to go to the carnival today." Melfina stated, trying to hint that she wanted to go. I closed my eyes.

"Really Jim, who you going with?"

"Gene, Melfina wants you to take her to the Fair, it has nothing to do with me." I said. Melfina looked at me. I looked at her. Without saying a word, we agreed to shut our mouths... at least when it came to the other person. At least for today.

As I ate, I looked at Suzuka. She had her normal knowing look on her face, and I could only wonder what she knew. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, and got a small smile on her face. She knew I was hiding... she didn't know what.

Aisha burst into the room, wolfed down her breakfast, and was gone again, fast as blink.

I took a deep breath; let it out in a sigh. Then I ate my breakfast and retreated to my room.

* * *

**Suzuka**

It was rather amusing, watching the two. Living as crew to the Outlaw star is very much like watching an interactive soap opera. Gene and Melfina had decided to take the day off, turned on the answering machine, and they were gone by eight. I quietly sat myself in the main room and considered.

Jim had glared machetes at Melfina when she told Gene he was going to the fair. His response to Gene's question was a simple evasion... Gene would never see through something simple, he required a complex evasion to understand the truth, and so he said nothing.

I however...

Well, all I have to do to see what is happening is look at Jim's computer. I heard Aisha talking to Jim last night at about three thirty. They had broken my trance, but I ignored them, and continued my rest.

Then Aisha broke the monitor. Hmmm... _Perhaps they will finally see what has been there... for a while... at least since the Ruins._ When Mel had said he was going to the fair, I merely lifted my eyebrow. I lowered it just as quickly, however.

_The following weeks are indeed going to be amusing._ I said to myself as I flicked back the wayward strand of hair that fell across my eye.

* * *

**Aisha- 8:30**

I waited for him outside his door. I wasn't working today, so I decided to wear something OTHER than my normal uniform (Uniforms, rather, between the empire and all the part time jobs I have to get) so today, I wore a white t-shirt that fell down to the knees of my blue jeans. I left my hair braided around the Ring of Strength. I would have taken that off too, but my neck and back are so used to the weight that if I take it off, I end up in pain. Or so I've been told. I've never really tested it. We are told that the ring weighs twenty pounds. But I had increased the weight when I got out of the academy.

Jim came out of his room wearing a bright blue shirt with black jeans. he had that single shoulder backpack holding his laptop.

"Leave that!" I said pointing at the laptop.

"No. You'll be with me all day to make sure I won't use it for work, but you will not make me leave it here."

We stood there for a moment, growling at each other.

"Aisha, he is right. Asking him to leave his computer as like asking you to take off your Ring of Strength." Suzuka said from the couch. We looked over at her. "Physically painful."

"How, it's just a computer?!"

"It's just as much a part of him as your Ring."

"Fine then... Let's go Jim."

* * *

**Jim- 9:00**

Aisha wanted to take my car, but I wasn't about to let Aisha consider driving MY car!

When we got there, Aisha yielded enough to admit I was a good driver. Aisha led me around the grounds, pointing out this and that. Then she asked me what I wanted to do.

"Wanna go take a look at the car show?"

"Why not? Maybe we can find a better car then your Junker!" she said, and then skipped out of reach.

"Aisha!" I yelled, and then took off after her as she skipped away to the Car show, her blue jeans and huge t-shirt flapping past her as fast as she moved. She really looked good in those looser clothes.

_Can we focus here?!_ I yelled at myself as I slid to a stop inside the building that housed the car show. _I mean, come on! This is Aisha we are talking about, the same person who has been a real cute pain in the butt for more than five years!_

_WHAT?!_ I surprised myself admitting she was cute, but I don't think she'd take such a description as a compliment. I spotted Aisha admiring the latest Prowler, and I looked at her.

Dressed as she was, she didn't look even a third as threatening as she did in her C'tarl-c'tarl uniform, but you still got the impression of, 'back off, I will take you down.'

"Jim, what are you doing?" She had caught me staring at her. "C'm'ere and take a look at this!"

* * *

**Jim- A couple hours later**

We stopped for lunch at a community cafe on the grounds. It was there that Aisha almost ruined the entire day.

"Look at that beast, what the ---- does she think she is doing among normal people?"

Aisha's fists clenched, and her jaw tightened.

I reached over, and put my hand on hers. Her jaw dropped as if I had slapped her. I opened her fist and twined our fingers together. "We're here to have fun, remember?"

"But Jim-"

She couldn't continue. "Look at me Aisha." She did. "People always thought me a freak when I told them I was the adult. Heck, people still do. Not everyone will like you Aisha, but you have to ignore those who don't, and concentrate on those who do."

* * *

**Aisha**

I bowed my head. I wanted so much to go rip the throat out of that blasted idiot... but Jim's hand in mine held me there far better than any rope or chain could have.

I looked back up at him and nodded. He smiled at me. He didn't try and remove his hand until Dinner arrived, then did when he got his cheeseburger.

Once we were done with our dinner, our hands found each other again as we searched the Fair.

Gene and Melfina were spotted on the rides, but they didn't see us. At six o'clock, Jim dragged us to a parts store to find a new monitor. Then, much to my surprise, we went skating. I hadn't been skating for more than fifteen years, but I decided then that I was going to start again.

* * *

**Melfina**

"I haven't seen Jim at all today." Gene stated. I sat up straight in surprise. "Have you seen him at all? I thought he was going to be here."

"Well, he wants to be alone right now, so he'll be fine." I said once I had regained my composer. We were at the diner in the fair. Gene looked around, a little suspicious. "C'mon Gene, is it not rare when he wants to spend some time having fun? He too young to be so serious, and you know it."

"Yeah... I do know. Well, wherever he is, I hope he's having as much fun as we are." he smiled at me. I didn't realize covering for Jim and Aisha was going to be so difficult.

* * *

**Suzuka** **- Twilight**

Well, Aisha and Jim got home, and hooked up the new monitor, Just as Gene and Melfina walked through the door.

"Hey Mel!" Jim yelled.

"Yes Jim?"

"I'm a calling you out! You say you can do the taxes and records better than I can, let me see ya try, varmint." Jim's ancient west accent was horrendous, but it was funny! Imagine calling Melfina a varmint.

Mel went over to the computer, and set her hand on top of the CPU. She closed her eyes, and they twitched through the lids. She then lifted her hand and turned away. She took two steps towards the kitchen, then looked back over her shoulder, and said "Press F5 Jim." Then retreated to the kitchen. He did so, and while I hadn't been watching them, I did hear Aisha burst into a howling laughter.

* * *

**Aisha**

The look on Jim's face was so priceless! He looked at me, and was torn between screaming at me and laughing as well.

"C'mon Jim, you promised." I said after I had gotten the laughs out of my system. I was still smiling uncontrollably. "I know what your thinking Jim." He was trying to find a way out of this. "Hey Mel!" I yelled.

She came to the door.

"Where's Gene?"

"He's in the shower right now.

"Good. Jim and I are taking off. Don't tell Gene. You either Suzy!"

"I wouldn't dream of it beast."

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself, you don't call me Suzy, and I won't call you a beast, agreed?"

"Fine... Suzuka."

"Very well Aisha."

"Will you be back in time for dinner?" Melfina asked.

"No." Jim said glumly.

"Oh, c'mon, you promised!"

"Fine. Let's just go before Gene comes down."

* * *

**Jim- Sunday morning, Seven o'clock**

It was a two-part bet. First we had to have the monitor hooked up before the other two got home. Then I had to get the taxes done.

MELFINA LIED!!!!!!!!!!!!

It took her less than four minutes where it would have taken me all of eight hours. My loss: Dinner and a movie on me, her choice.

Well, I did agree to it.

Mel was right though. I did have fun yesterday. We hadn't gotten in 'til nigh three o'clock. After the movie, we walked around... a lot. Aisha had a younger brother on her home world; she hadn't had a chance to write to him in almost how long? The postage would have been impossible.

At Seven O'clock, my eyes snapped open.

I dragged myself into the kitchen and started breakfast. I thought sausage would be a nice change.

* * *

**Aisha- 7:30**

I took a deep breath. There were worse ways too wake up then to the beautiful smells of breakfast.

My jaw dropped again as I saw Jim standing at the stove.

Scrambled eggs, sausage, French toast, Tea, Milk or Coffee to your preference. I sat quietly down, and watched him flip the French toast. He walked over to the fridge and pulled out the butter then got the syrup out of the cupboard on the way to the table and set them both down. Suzuka walked in as I was setting the table. She simply sat and enjoyed the spectacle of Jim and I waltzing around the kitchen while Mel and Gene stood waiting outside the kitchen.

We all sat down and ate breakfast, not talking too much.

I personally was still sleeping off yesterday. I looked over at Jim, and saw that he kept blinking. I couldn't help but smile as I poured syrup over my fifth piece of French toast.

"So what are we doing today Gene?"

"You're asking me?"

"Well, you're the captain!" I yelled in Jim's defense.

"Calm down Aisha. Get the phone," he said just before it started ringing. I looked over at him.

"Starwind and Hawking Inc, This is Aisha speaking, how may I help you?"

* * *

**Jim- Hour Later**

"A rescue mission?" Aisha asked as I loaded the coordinates back into Gilliam.

"They are offering fifty hundred thousand Wong." Gene stated from the Captain's seat.

"And how did you know the phone was going to ring when it did?" Gene only shrugged.

"Who cares? We have a mission."

"Outlaw star, you have clearance for take off."

"All right then, let's go!"

With that the Outlaw Star took off into space.

* * *

**Gilliam- five minutes before exiting sub-ether**

Gene was still married to the Melfina, which has never bothered me, but as I watch the cockpit, and every ten to fifteen seconds, Aisha would glance to the front of the cabin. Jim... I couldn't help but think he must have injured his shoulder. He kept twitching to his right. I found it strange.

Suzuka watched over everyone. Her behavior was the strangest of all, I admit.

We made good time to the coordinates Jim had given to me. As was requested of me three years ago whenever we reached within a light year of our destination, I queried Gene to the status of his caster ammo.

"Huh?" Which was his usual response.

"He wants to know how many caster shells you have stocked." Jim stated.

"Are you truly dumb enough to not understand the same question after three years of him asking it?!" Aisha almost howled.

"Aisha, please try to maintain a decibel rating of less than fifty. My bridge has perfect acoustics. A whisper can be heard in every corner." The computer notified me that we were approaching the wreck of a ship.

"The core blew, looks like." Jim said.

"How can you tell?" Aisha asked.

He tapped out a sequence.

The drive of the ship was no longer there... That was not puzzling what was puzzling was the fact that the ship over there was...

"Am I seeing things or is that me?" Gilliam asked.

* * *

**Melfina- Visual distance of the rescue site**

The ship did indeed look like the outlaw star... but was that possible?

_**We're being hailed!**_ I said through the ships communication system.

"Shall I put it on the screen?" Gilliam asked.

"By all means."

I blinked.

So did I in the screen.

Jim had his customary seat, and Gene sat where Suzuka did, Aisha had her normal spot, and I was, of course in my position.

"This is Hot Ice Hilda and the Outlaw, hailing the Outlaw Star. It took you guys long enough to get here."

"Hilda?!" Almost everyone except Suzuka's jaw was on the floor. On her screen, I flashed a message.

[Do you know who she is?] She imperceptibly shook her head. [Hilda was responsible for giving us this ship, the Outlaw Star. She died five years ago.]

"Who is she?" Hilda asked, her eye looking directly at the former assassin.

"Suzuka Twilight, former gold class assassin."

"Former? Didn't you just get Fred Lou?" Jim (Jim2 perhaps?) asked.

"Not here. He has actually been supporting us for the most part." the former assassin responded.

"Hmmm... Well, at any rate, I wasn't kidding about the reward. Get us back to Sentinel III and it's all yours." Hilda terminated the transmission. Everyone looked at each other.

"Money is money, right?" Gene asked.

"Yeah, but who are they?" Aisha asked.

"Who cares? Jim, what do you think?" Gene asked his partner.

"I think we should help them." I blinked and looked at Jim.

"If it comes from Jim, you know it's a good Idea." Gene said. So between Gillium, Gene and myself, we came along side the Outlaw, set in our anchors, and set course to Sentinel 3.

* * *

**Jim, an Hour later**

I was alone in the galley; everyone else should have been asleep. Casually, he walked in and took a seat next to me.

"So how you doin' Jim?"

It was strange hearing my voice from outside my own body.

"How did you get over here?"

"Call me Jim2, it'll save time and a headache." He said, a smile in his voice. "Gilliam will let me in, after all, I'm crew."

"I know you didn't come over here for the heck of it, so what do you want?"

"I wanted to know if you've told Aisha." I sat up straight. "The only real difference between our two timelines is that Hilda captains the Outlaw, the ship that was once the XGP. We went to the Leyline, Gene and Mel got hitched, we hadn't entered the space race, but then, Starwind and Hawking enterprises don't exist anymore.

"But I want to know if you've told Aisha. You know what I'm talking about." I shook my head.

"What about you?" He shook his head.

"I just can't seem to gather my courage. You know the feeling." I nodded. "Anyway. When we were on our way out to the Leyline, we found something I thought you might like. This." He said, displaying a delicate bracelet.

"What's so special about it?" He turned his palm over and held a light out to me.

"Gilliam, what is in my hand?"

"There isn't anything in you're hand, Jim."

"There isn't a flame in the room, is there Gilliam?" I asked.

"Not that I can see."

"Magic, as far as any of us can tell. It only works for me though. So here," he said, taking the bracelet off, and putting it on my wrist.

"Just focus on your hand." I did so, and a bright red light appeared in it.

I looked at my counter part, and he flashed me a peace sign, then disappeared. I closed my hand on the fireball, and then took a stroll around the ship. I ended up on the bridge, looking out at the darkness.

* * *

**Aisha- 2:00AM**

I couldn't sleep.

I was dead tired, but sleep would not come.

I stumbled out of my bed, wearing my ship nightgown, and stumbled out of my room down the hall to the galley. I fixed myself a cup of tea, and then made a second cup and walked with it to the bridge.

Jim was standing near my workstation, staring silently out the view screen. I placed his cup of tea next to him, and leaned against the screen near him.

We stood there, silently contemplating the stars, quietly sipping our tea. When our tea was finished, we made our silent way back to the personal quarters. His room was first, but he seemed to want to walk me to my room, because he didn't stop when we got to his room. I paused and he looked at me. He held his hand out to me. I took it, and we continued down to my room.

Gene and Mel had the cabin closest to the bridge; Jim's was across from them. There were two empty cabins between Jim's room and the room Suzuka slept in. I slept across from her.

_Is this a dream?_ Went across my mind. I wasn't sure where it had came from, but I agreed completely.

When we got to my door, I turned to him. "Thank you..." I whispered. I leaned into him, and gave him a hug, which he returned with such gentleness, I almost began to cry. He kissed my hair, and then we stepped apart.

I looked around quickly, looking for the rest of our crew, or any of the Gilliam drones, seeing none, I leaned in and kissed Jim, then turned and went into my room, leaving the door open a crack... an Invitation.

* * *

**Melfina- 8:00, three hours from Sentinel 3**

As I had half expected, Jim and Aisha had breakfast set up for everyone... before I entered.

"How much sleep did you two get last night?" I asked my friends.

"Mel, you've been hanging around Gene too much." Jim said.

"Yeah, I mean, what do you think you know about us anyway?!" Aisha exclaimed.

I raised my eyes at being rebuked by such a unique source. "I'm sorry."

"You sh-"

"Aisha." Jim interrupted. They held a motion-based conversation, and Aisha applied herself to her meal. "It's all right Mel, don't worry about it. Hey Gilliam?"

"Yes Jim?"

"Is Gene still asleep?"

"Yes Jim."

"I see. ETA to Sentinel Three?"

"Two hours, fifty minutes and Twelve seconds."

"Thanks Gilliam."

"You're welcome Jim."

"Three more hours? I could have gotten more rest then. You two are amazingly distracting despite the fact that you barely spoke three words last night walking around the ship." Suzuka said as she walked in and got her tea that the two had made for her.

I looked at the two people in question, and for some reason they found this slightly embarrassing.

"Maybe you ought to try SLEEPING some time Suzuka." Aisha said nervously.

"If I did that, I would never have gotten to see that scene outside your door." That shut Aisha up. I looked at Suzuka.

"Let's drop it, shall we?" Jim asked.

"I suppose, but it would be more fun to embarrass you two further."

"Well get it over with now then, and don't pull anything in front of Gene, please?"

"Get what over with now, Jim?"

"Nothing Gene." Suzuka said.

"Why do I get the distinct impression that you are all hiding something from me?"

"Because we are." Aisha said, and began to howl.

"I see. How far are we from Sentinel?"

"A bit less than three hours."

"Any word from the Outlaw?"

"No." Jim said flatly.

I studied Jim for a moment, wondering why he was so closed so suddenly. I ate my breakfast slowly, and then went to my post.

* * *

**Gene- Half-hour before touch down**

"Gilliam, open a channel to the Outlaw."

"It is open."

"Hey Hilda, do you have a minute?"

"Video or audio?"

"Audio is fine. Was there anywhere particular you wanted us to take you on Sentinel?"

"Can you tell us where to find someone who can sell us a new engine section?" Gene2 asked.

"Gene."

"Sorry Hilda."

"We do, however, need an new engine. And if you have any contacts inside the Space forces, I'd appreciate their numbers, and no, they won't know that you gave them to me." Jim looked at me, and I nodded. "Thanks." Hilda said as her Gilliam displayed the data. "Don't get out much, do you guys?"

**_We try to avoid the space forces._** Mel said.

**_Why?_** Mel2 asked.

"Bad experience with a Draconian." Jim said.

"A DNA mutant?" Jim2 asked.

"Yeah, and you want to watch that guy. He has a sense of honor, and he will not be blackmailed. His record..." I shrugged.

"He's your basic goody-two-shoes!" Aisha yelled as she looked at her screen.

"Yeah, he's stiff as a board, unless you helped him out." Jim muttered.

"And how did you get his help?" Hilda asked.

**_We saved his life._**

"Do you always carry conversations like this?" Hilda asked. I looked at Jim, Jim looked at Suzuka, She looked at Aisha, and Aisha turned to Melfina.

As one now, in perfect harmony; "Yeah, all the time."

"I see."

"We do have our own berth though, two slots on our property. We can let you rent that slot at a much better price than the space port." Jim said.

"Excellent. Now, if we can get a new engine, we'll be in business." Gene2 said drolly.

**_Bad news is we don't have any space for a hotel._**

"That's all right, we'll probably stay on our ship." Jim2 said.

"Now who's talking about strange conversational behavior?" I muttered.

* * *

**Aisha; that afternoon**

Aisha2 asked me to take her shopping after we landed.

When we met up outside, she was not wearing her uniform.

"You're still in the C'tarl-c'tarl Navy?" 2 asked me as we walked downtown.

"Yeah, your not?"

"No, they sent me my resignation last year after they heard I was still on the Outlaw." she said giggling. "At least it keeps me on board the Outlaw. I can't imagine living without these people; they are more than friends... They are like my family." I knew exactly what she meant.

"Defiantly. Especially Jim. I don't know what I'd do without him to tease."

"Jim? Well I suppose. I have more fun poking at Gene."

"Gene? What's to poke fun at about him? He's not serious even when he is."

"Yeah, but he goes ballistic when I mention his name and Hilda's in the same sentence."

"Why?"

"Because he and Melfina got married two years ago, and he's been faithful to her. Mel has more of a sense of humor than Gene does about it. She knows not to take me too seriously!"

"All right, I can see that. Tell me what you think of Jim, though?"

"Jim?" she asked, giving me a strange look. I looked back at her, completely serious. "Well... He's too serious for being do young."

"Yeah, does Jim2 also stay up till 3:30 doing Taxes?"

"Of course. He says there isn't a better time to do it. It used to keep me up at night, but I soundproofed my room, so now I can sleep. What about you?"

"It only woke me up once."

"Then?"

"I broke his monitor." 2 howled in laughter. "The next day I dragged him to the fair." That made 2 quit laughing. She looked at me with her eyes and ears raised and her jaw scraping the floor. "It's never occurred to you once in the past five plus years that he works too much?" I asked her.

"Well, yeah, but..."

"I made him quit working all day. Well, except for about a half hour, we had to get him a new monitor." I smiled, remembering the rest of that evening.

"What?"

"Uh... Nothing." I said quickly, and smiled. "C'mon, let's go shop!"

We didn't exactly take a shopping spree, because, let's face it, we were neither rich, though I think I was a bit better off then she was. After all, The Outlaw Star still had a functioning drive system. And plus, there was that whole payment from Hilda.

I picked up a new pair of shoes, plus some new Jeans and shirts. The gem that I picked up though was this dress. I saw it, and I envisioned the look on Jims face when he saw me wearing it.

"What you got a boyfriend?" 2 asked me when I bought it.

I blinked. "Maybe. I don't know for sure. Oh, we got to go to the electronics store!"

She smiled, and gave me a sly look, "What, get something for your beau?"

I smiled back in response. "Nah, get something for Jim, a music player."

"Jim is a hacker, he doesn't listen to music."

"Sure he does, everyone listens to music." I said as I led the way to the electronics store Jim had picked up his monitor from.

"Aisha, I didn't hear of a C'tarl-c'tarl vessel landing."

"There wasn't one." I said confused. He looked at 2, and I laughed.

"Mister, you don't even want to know." Jim said from behind a display. "Hey Aisha, Aisha2."

"Aisha...2?" The clerk asked.

"I told you mister, don't ask." Jim repeated.

"Yeah, even if we could explain it, it wouldn't make sense." I said.

2 spent a few long moments looking at first me, then Jim. She walked around the shop until she could see us both without turning her head. I just looked at her, wondering what she was thinking.

* * *

**Jim; 6:00 pm**

Well, I had to find a specific chip, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to find it from a used electronics shop. When I got back, Jim2 was waiting for me.

"Hey Jim, what's up?"

"Not much Jim, and you?"

"I told you, call me Jim2."

"Right Jim." He laughed.

"Hey, you wanna spar?"

"Spar?"

"Yeah, practice hand to hand combat."

"You'll win." I warned him

"I'll take it easy on you, I promise."

* * *

**Melfina, 6:10**

Aisha had left with her double as soon as we had gotten back to Sentinel. Jim had stuck around for a few hours and then went off to look for a part he needed. When Jim got back at six o'clock, Jim2 was waiting for him to practice with him. Gene was talking with Hilda, captain to captain, while Suzuka was dueling with Gene2. I wonder what he said?

Meanwhile, I cooked and cleaned.

I tasted the spaghetti sauce as she walked in. She wore her hair longer, and in a ponytail, not a bad look, but it made her look like a mercenary.

"You're cooking?"

"Yeah, I always do... Well, unless Jim and Aisha beat me to the kitchen, but otherwise, yeah." I said with a smile. "It's fun." She didn't know what to make of me, so I turned to check on the noodles.

Melfina went around to the bar, and sat herself down to watch me.

"You do know that you are state of the art artificial intelligence technology?"

"No, I didn't. Is that important?" She looked at me, disbelieving.

"Have you ever looked at your own programming?"

"Why would I do that?"

"You do know that you are an android, right?"

"A bio-android, yes." She nodded, a worried look on her face. Then she left.

Gene and Hilda walked in next

"Hey Mel, How long 'til dinner?" I sniffed the sauce quickly, and nodded to myself.

"Five minutes. I made enough for both crews... Assuming Hilda doesn't eat more than Suzuka usually does..." I said thoughtfully.

"It's all right Mel." Hilda said. "I won't go hungry. Where's Aisha?"

"Ours or yours?" Gene asked.

"They're together, they went shopping." I replied.

"Speaking of the twin hurricanes..." Hilda said as the walked in, Aisha in her Uniform, Aisha2 in her civilian clothes. Aisha held three bags, Aisha2, five.

"Aisha?" Hilda asked in a bored tone.

"Aisha!" Gene said, annoyed.

"What?" They said together.

"More clothes?" Gene and Hilda said together. They looked at each other and shrugged.

The Aishas nodded.

"But, Gene, I also got something for someone else." I didn't neglect my cooking, but I looked at Aisha.

"Yeah, she got a music player for Jim," Aisha2 said.

"For Jim?" Gene asked.

"They are out back, Aisha," I said, "Tell them that Dinner will be ready five minutes ago, and also Melfina if you see her." Our Aisha left. Aisha2 sat down on one side of the table. Gene sat at one end on the other side.

"What about Gene2 and Suzuka?" Hilda asked. I pointed to the front room as I brought the pot with the noodles to the table. She walked in to get them. Suzuka sat on the opposite end from Gene, Gene2 sat next to Hilda, and Melfina sat by her husband. Once I had everything on the table, I sat next to my own husband. The seven of us started.

Aisha, Jim and Jim2 filled in the remaining seats as quickly as possible, and dug in as well.

* * *

**Jim, 10:00pm**

I was testing Aisha's gift, and looking at the stars. The memory was a little small, only a gig, but it was really nice of her anyway, and I loved it. I stopped the player and just looked at the stars for a few minutes as the door to the house opened.

"So what's going on between you two?" Aisha2 asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Are you two dating?"

"What two?" I asked.

"You and Aisha Jim, who else would I be talking about?"

I shrugged, "You and Jim?" I said innocently. Aisha2 rolled her eyes at me.

"Don't be obtuse, Jim. What is going on between you and my counterpart?" I looked down at my new player and thought of Aisha. Thought about that kiss the other night...

"I'm not sure." I said, looking back to the stars. She scoffed, and turned back to the door.

"2!" She paused at the door, waiting. "Just as I feel for Aisha, so does Jim2." She stood there for a moment.

"For me?" I said nothing, but put my headphones back on, I lay back on a blanket I had laid on the roof, and drowned in Leanne Rimes.

I had listened to four more songs when I felt another presence on the roof with me. I shut off my music, and looked up into the shadows between the stars

_What's...?_"What is happening to us Jim?" She asked as she lay down next to me, snuggling into me.

_I don't know Aisha... But I don't think I want it to stop... What about you?_

She looked at me, and considered me for a while, and finally, she shook her head. "Never."

* * *

**Aisha- 2:00 pm**

We each got our pillows and blankets, met back on the roof, and stayed up until dawn, laying next to each other, staring up at the stars and talking. All night, we spoke. Wandering from subject to subject, just learning from each other. I learned his past as he learned about my family. Dawn knocked Jim into sleep, and I watched him for a few moments, wondering just what was happening to us. Then I slept as well.

I woke just a moment ago. I wondered what had done it.

I yawned and smelled the pavement frying in the midday sun. I reached over to where Jim had slept, but he had waked up a while ago, unless I missed my guess. I took my blankets and pillows down to my room, and curled up on my bed for another few seconds nap.

To be disrupted by a knock on my door.

"What do you want?!" I yelled croakily.

The door opened, and whomever it was walked in and landed on my bed next to me. Gene wasn't stupid enough to actually walk in my room uninvited. Mel waits until the door is open before entering my room, under normal circumstances, Jim never comes near my room, and Suzuka would have sent one of the others after me. These aren't normal circumstances, but if it was Jim, he would not have LANDED on my bed, he would have...

Well, either way, it wasn't Jim.

My mind was foggy as I cracked my eyebrow and looked into a face that was my own.

"It's time to wake UP!!" 2 yelled. I slugged her, and she fell off my bed.

I rolled over and said; "Go away!" The room was silent for a moment, and then 2 left, only to return five minutes later with a bucket of Ice water, which she emptied on me.

I sat up and Glared at 2 out of the corner of my eye, then I snatched the bucket and threw it through my door and downstairs. I picked out some clothes, and went down to the bathroom to take a warm shower... and to plot my revenge.

* * *

**Jim- 3:00**

The crew of the Outlaw had left ten minutes before Aisha had got out of her shower. Gene had gone with them, while Suzuka and Mel went grocery shopping.

I watched her walk to her room from where I sat on the couch downstairs. She still wasn't awake. Could not blame her at all.

I walked up and knocked on her door.

"Who is it?"

"It's just me."

"Did you get enough sleep this morning?"

"No, you?" She snorted.

"You can come in if you'd like." she invited.

Inside, Aisha was sitting on the floor, eyes closed, with her hair unbraided and spread across her bed. Her ring was on the floor next to her.

"Are you all right Aisha?" She shook her head, and then groaned.

"It's amazing what staying up until dawn talking will do to a person."

"Sleep cycles. I know. I was referring to this." I said, picking up the ring. "Whoa. Fifty pounds?"

"Yeah. I just can't move around a lot with it off, and I'm usually recuperating for a few days either way."

"Why'd you take it off then?" She smiled.

"I wanted to re-braid my hair," She then scoffed. "Unfortunately, I miscalculated. Now it's off and undone, I don't have the energy to fix it." We had a small laugh over that.

"Anything I can help with?" She shook her head.

"Just talk with me. Do you like your player?"

"It's wonderful, Aisha, thank you so much. If Mel will take over the records permanently, I'm going to be at ends. It's your fault, you know."

"The books are not the only things you do around here Jim. How can you ever think you'll be lacking something to do?" I couldn't say much to that. "Well, here's something you can do," she said and tossed me a hairbrush.

"Yeah. And in a few years, I might get so good at it... Yeah right."

"Jim, you are our strategist. You keep Gene out of trouble, and you have, on occasion, even stopped me from doing something I probably shouldn't, not something I can easily admit. You are a genius, but you need to quit growing mentally and let your body catch up with your mind."

I knew she was right, but nonetheless...

"Now, how do I braid it?"

"Split it into three roughly even collectives..."

* * *

**Mel**

When Suzuka and I got home, I looked at Suzuka to see if her suspicions were correct. She pointed upstairs, to Aisha's room. Suzuka began to unpack the groceries while I went up to check on them.

Lying next to each other on the floor leaning on the bed, Jim and Aisha slept. I smiled at the sleepers and closed their door. Then I went to put the groceries away and start dinner.

I made dinner that night for everyone, but I took their portions up and left them to wake up and eat their dinner without suffering the slings and arrows of Suzuka, Gene, and all of the second crew.

"Where are Jim and Aisha?" Gene asked when the crews sat down to dinner. I had, however, expected this question.

"Jim was up late last night working on his car. Aisha stayed up to help him."

Gene looked at me in surprise. Aisha2 raised her ears, but otherwise didn't react.

"I see." Hilda, Gene and Gene2 said at the same time. Melfina only looked at me while Suzuka sipped her tea.

* * *

**Suzuka**

Mornings, the second crew floated around while Gene2, Hilda and Aisha2 woke their brains. Then Aisha2 went to work, she had found a part time job that our Aisha had, apparently, missed. Hilda and Jim2 took the afternoons to design the new engine.

Aisha worked at her job, and Jim worked with the Outlaw Star or with Starwind and Hawking Inc.'s customers. They occasionally got a request for an assassin mission. All of those were disregarded.

A mining company asked us to bring an asteroid from a nearby belt, and paid us fifty thousand wong for the mission. Jim still fixed the vehicles on our agenda, and Aisha and I usually worked together on bodyguard missions. We worked quite well together.

We were on such a mission one evening; Aisha drove the limo while I sat just on the other side of the glass window separating the two sections.

"How are things going between you and Jim?" I asked her, ignoring our assignment as he had two people sitting back with him at the other end of the Limo.

She yelped, swerved for a moment, and then yelled out the window.

"You love doing that, don't you?"

"Aisha, you should know by know that very little brings me greater joy than teasing you two. Well?"

"First of all, you are a cold, ruthless Assassin."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." I said, not taking my eyes off the other end of the Limo.

"And second, why do you care?"

"I have my reasons." And I did, though I would not tell them to her.

She could tell I wouldn't say more, so she continued. "I don't know for sure."

If I asked... But I had to. Why the universe cared about these two... I don't know. Whenever I asked, I only knew that they were necessary, but not why.

"Have you slept with him?" She growled, but made no response. I only nodded.

* * *

**Jim**

Jim had set up wards around where we sparred, and he dragged me aside DAILY to spar, so that no one got hurt. He had used the bracelet for so long, he didn't need it to throw fireballs.

I on the other hand seemed to be a slow learner. It took me over a week to learn how to throw the balls of Fire I could summon. On the plus side I was already faster than he was. We raced on the first day; he beat me when I was only half done. The fifth day, we tied, and the tenth day the second crew was hanging around, I beat him by half the track.

"Why do you think it so important that I learn this stuff?" I asked him while his jaw was still dropped from when kicked his butt so badly in the race.

"Don't you dare tell me, Jim Hawking, that you enjoy being Gene's backup? Sure, you pull your own weight with tactics, technology and books; but when you get in a fight; you are always backing Gene. Don't tell me you don't want to be next to Gene in a fight. If you can learn this stuff, that will happen.

"Now, come on. Let's see you hit me," he said, taking a defensive position.

I sighed. He had hit home with some of those remarks, and we both knew it. I set myself and took a deep breath.

Jim's shape seemed to begin to waver, but I couldn't concentrate on that if I was going to try to hit him.

With a feral roar, I charged at him, my feet only barely touching the ground. Three inches from him, he disappeared, only to kick me in the gut. In midair, I flipped over, and swung my right arm directly into my momentum, which, as Jim was setting up to kick me again, happened to be right into his face.

When he landed he was laughing. I heard a few seconds after I had landed. I stood up slowly and looked in the direction I had hit Jim. There was a wide path that led directly to back wall of my crew's home. He left a dent in the wall, had fallen out, and then started laughing.

In a flash I was over by him.

"Hey Jim, you OK?" I asked the laughing child.

"Am I ok?" he said, still laughing. "Daecrou! I've never been hit that hard! Ever!" Mel came out, followed by Melfina, and Gene2.

"Is everyone all right?" Mel asked.

"Jim will be if that's his impression on the wall. His skull is thicker than the Hull of the Outlaw." Gene2 stated.

Melfina only rolled her eyes and walked back inside.

"Yeah Mel, I'm fine," Jim said, still laughing. "I've never had my butt handed to me this badly. Good job Jim! Let's play a new game now," he said, standing up, a slightly Manic grin on his face.

"How do you play this one?"

"I hide, and you stand here and seek me with a fireball."

"How do I do that?" I asked scratching my head.

"All right bro," he began, his smile vanishing to a look of intense focus, "Listen close. There are people, mostly Tao Pirates, who can move faster than you can see. You have to be able to find someone without using your eyes. Maybe we can ask Suzuka to help with this part, she is faster than I am..." he said thoughtfully.

"She's on a job with Aisha right now." I pointed out.

"Daecrou... Well, let's see what you can do for now, and we'll work with a moving target later. Go inside, Ask Melfina what's for dinner, and when she doesn't know, ask Mel, and then come back out. I'll have hidden by then."

* * *

**Aisha- 7:45 PM**

I found Jim standing right outside the back door. As far as I could tell, he was just standing there.

"Are you asleep?" I whispered.

"No, I'm trying to find my counterpart." I scanned the field in front of us.

"He's over there." I said pointing.

"I can't use my eyes." I scratched my hair. Then I looked in the direction I was pointing, and started walking over that way.

"Why is Jim trying to find you?"

"It's a game that he's not winning. I can do this, why can't he?"

"Tell you what. Let him off for the day, and I'll show him how tomorrow."

"You can do this?"

"I found you, didn't I?" That made him pause.

"True. All right, I'll let you try."

"Thank you so much," I said and then ran back to Jim.

"Come on Jim, Lets go, I found something today that was so cool."

"All right, Aisha, just let me take a shower, and I'll meet you in the front room. Gimme a half hour."

"Cool." I leaned in, kissed his cheek, and then made for my room.

* * *

**Jim**

It is much more difficult to try and do something than it is to actually do it... At least once you have the hang of it. Any way, I stumbled to my room, and took a cold shower to wake up a bit.

Aisha took me to the lake, about an hour walk away. She drove this time.

"We were supposed to be watching this lame brain, and he didn't need two bodyguards. He didn't need even one, but he thought he did. Stupid human." Then she looked at me. "No offense, Jim, but this guy-"

"It's all right Aisha." I said around a yawn.

"Cool. But Suzuka got hungry, so she sent me to go get something to eat, and on the way there, I spotted this place."

The river that came off the lake had a bridge over it. You couldn't drive over it, but you could walk under it. High under the bridge, basically out of sight was the cave.

* * *

**Aisha**

It took me the better part of an hour to realize that Jim could pinpoint me anywhere in the city. Anyone else though... It was very annoying! Even if it was very flattering.

"How long have you known Gene?"

"Eight to ten years, I'd guess."

"All right, close your eyes." He did so. "Picture him in your mind... Tell me what he looks like."

"Red hair, cut short, Scars all over his face. Wears a tan weighted poncho, carries a Caster Blaster..."

"What is he like?" I asked softly.

"He's an Outlaw," Jim said quietly, with admiration. "You can count on him to do the right thing, even if that goes against the law. He's been through a lot, his scars are a testament to that, but he still acts like a kid."

"So where is he?" I asked quietly, not interrupting the trance state he was in.

"He's over there..." Jim said pointing. I sent my own mind out and pinpointed him on the way to a mission in his car.

"Where?" I barely whispered.

"In his car... approaching the corner of Eastwood and Newton."

I sighed and smiled.

"What do you know about Jim2?"

"He's me... but he's not. He's like me... but he's different."

"Where is he?"

"He's on the Outlaw, sleeping."

"Excellent. Open your eyes Jim." He did so and looked at me.

"I did it?" I nodded, smiling. "I did it!"

* * *

**Mel- 2:00**

During a late lunch, the second crew spoke among themselves.

"Any clues yet Jim?" My counterpart asked her crewmate.

"... Huh?" he asked, distracted.

"What's he thinking about?" Jim asked Hilda.

"How we got here."

"It's rather annoying. Makes me wish I had gotten to the Leyline. I could have found out what it knows."

"I thought that the engine section was almost done?" Gene asked Hilda.

"It is almost done, but until we can figure out how we got here, we have almost no hope of getting back." Melfina stated.

"Hey Jim..."

"Yes?" Jim2 asked.

"What did happen, how did you end up here?" He looked across the table at our Jim, and smiled.

"Can I try something Guys?" He looked around at his crew, and they nodded, so he continued, "All right, everyone hold hands." Jim closed his eyes and held hands with 2 and Mel, Gene linked with Her and Hilda.

Slowly, a hologram began to take place over the Table. There was the Ether Stream, and the Outlaw was inside of it, surfing as we had done during the space Race. When suddenly, from the front Room, a missile came in to blow up about a hundred yards in front of the outlaw.

Shrapnel from the missile fell around the Outlaw, using it's gravity for a slingshot, right into the Newton reactors, causing the entire Engine Section to disintegrate in a very nasty looking explosion.

At the point where the missile detonated, an interesting phenomenon occurred. Space was... I suppose Bending around one point.

"That's a black whole!" Jim yelled.

"A Micro black whole, actually, hush." Hilda said.

The Outlaw was still going foreword, right into the... Anomaly.

"And then we were where you found us. We did a bit of research before we contacted you." Jim2 said.

"A normal black whole never occurs anywhere near an Ether stream..." Jim said softly to himself.

"Yeah, I know, but when this one did, the two energy... vacuums caused some kind of gate to open around the black whole, between them."

"That was not a fun trip," 2 said, her ears dropping.

"You're not the only one who suffered," Melfina said, cradling her head. Hilda glared at them both before they could start an argument.

I looked down to my fellow crewmate in confusion to find her looking at me. We shrugged and returned to eating. Jim and Jim2 both ate distractedly.

* * *

**Jim- the next afternoon**

2 approached the battle grounds at my request. "I don't see why you think **_I_** should be here."

"I want to know if I can beat you, it's that simple." I said as I settled into a fighting stance. The only other C'tarl-c'tarl on the planet, so like Aisha, and yet... so unlike.

I took a deep breath as she settled into her battle stance. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, and before she was done with the first movement, I had buried my fist in her stomach. She landed in the tree behind her. I stood there, powered down, and said, with no small amount of sarcasm, "I thought you were ready."

She growled at me, and I turned to walk away. The door made a huge base sound as it shut behind me.

_Three more seconds ought to do it._

I glanced At Jim, sitting in the front room watching a movie, and suddenly smiled, then silently, I dashed up the stairs to the roof. From there, I left the compound, and went to Our cave.

She wasn't there yet, but that did not entirely surprise me, we'd gotten a request for a pair of bodyguards. I pulled up this computer component I was working on for a client. The entire system need upgrading in my mind, but I was paid to make the current system work.

I knelt to the task at hand, and was so focused that I never felt Aisha anywhere near me until the sun had set.

"How do you do that?" she asked from where she lay on the couch she had scrounged from somewhere.

I must have jumped about three feet.

"It's all right Jim, it's just me," she said with a smile. I smiled in response.

"My mind was light years away." She stood up and came over behind me, and rubbed my shoulders.

"Right where it usually is, huh?" We smiled at each other, and then just relaxed.

"Thanks Aisha." I said, glad she was there to rub my shoulders. She moved her arms around me to hug me from behind.

"It's my pleasure Jim," she then licked my cheek. "So what'd you do today?"

"Picked a fight with 2."

Aisha stood straight up at that, "WHAT?!"

"It's all right Aisha, she didn't lay a finger on me. I only got one hit on her, and then walked inside. She followed me, but I think she mistook Jim2 for myself." Aisha gaped at me, trying to figure out why I would want my counterpart from the Outlaw to face off against hers. "Aisha," I said, taking her hands and looking into her eyes. "Jim loves her. I sincerely doubt that she'll hurt him much."

"I don't know, but I think that's calling for a lot of control on her part, and she thinks she's hitting YOU."

"I could be wrong, I admit that... but I doubt it. Shall we go check on them?"

She nodded.

* * *

**Mel- the next day**

They'd both be ok, but Hilda was not pleased with either Jim, Jim2 or Aisha2. Her own Jim and Aisha were excusable, but Our Jim...

"What were you thinking?!" she spat out.

Melfina was supporting her captain, but Gene2 was nowhere to be found. My husband was out right now with Suzuka on a mission.

"It's all right Hilda," Jim2 said from where he was laying down with a black eye, several other bruises, but nothing worse. Aisha2 was sleeping in her room on the Outlaw, Jim had overreacted to 2's assault and broke her arm. She was meditating, urging her arm to heal.

"Like #3!! it is. Aisha's arm is broke-"

"Which it will take her three days to fix."

"-And you won't be seeing straight for a month-"

"Like I use my eyes that much anyway?" he asked rhetorically. "Jim only made a mistake. It was a learning experience, wasn't it Jim?"

Aisha looked thoughtfully at Jim2 as Jim nodded. He knew. Jim2 had known what Jim was going to try. How?

Well, since there wasn't anything that could be done, it was more or less forgotten in two days, though the four would not forget.

Two days later Hilda got a missile delivered to her. It had a micro black hole in the war head. I remember thinking that things were going to move very fast, because the Engine for the outlaw was finished, and needed only installed on it's ship. They were going to do that tomorrow; Jim, Jim2, Hilda, and Melfina, along with Gene and Gene2 providing security. Aisha and her counterpart were standing around to help avoid accidents.

I was providing the catering.

* * *

**Jim-Mid Morning**

"Little Higher! Little more. All right, bring it forward slowly." Naturally, you couldn't make a four ton Engine move THAT slowly, but the Aishas were helping to reduce the swing. Jim2 was calling out the instructions, I was watching on the ground. We wanted to get it a half inch away, and in the right position. Once it was that far, we had rigged a series of winches and ratchets to move the engine that last half inch. The Aishas and the Mercenary Melfina would handle them.

Once it was set in place, my counterpart called a fireball and began to weld the engine to the ship.

"Well, Jim, you going to help or not?" I blinked and then raised my hand and conjured a fireball. It floated up to Jim2. "Not hot enough." I fed it more power, keeping it the same size until Jim finally nodded.

I then brought the ball to one point, and began to weld. I did half of it, while Jim did the other half.

"Do we want to cover the weld with ceramics?"

"Nah, that weld will hold for a LONG time."

"Are you Sure?" Hilda asked her subordinate.

"One Hundred ten percent." Jim said seriously, looking up to Hilda on the ground from his place on the top of the Outlaw.

"We'll be leaving tomorrow then. Be sure to run the checks on the missile once you have it installed in the LEFT Grappler Arm."

"Roger that Hilda."

"Aisha, help him."

"But!" Hilda leveled her one eyed glare at Aisha2, and said nothing. "All right!"

I decided to make myself scarce, before I was drafted to help them. Aisha was right behind me. As we walked into the Kitchen, however, we were recruited by the much less intimidating, though no less dangerous, force of Mel. We were asked to go to the store for food for the farewell party.

"You know there are people who can see things coming so far in advance, they have already started cooking for a party a week and a half beforehand?"

"If you ever meet someone who can, I'd like to meet them Aisha." Mel told her as we were walking out the door.

* * *

**Melfina- 2:00**

Jim and Aisha hadn't gotten back from the store yet, but I was still cooking with what I had. When the knock came from the front door, I wasn't particularly worried... many people don't like conducting business over the phone, even the videophone.

Suzuka and Gene had left on a mission after the engine was welded in place, but I expected them back before Dinner. Basically, I was alone in the house, so I went to answer the door.

When I opened the door and found a C'tarl-c'tarl officer on the other side, I almost shut the door in his face. Strong and proud (My crewmate being a prime example) they won't ask for help, and so this man had no other reason to be standing there...

But to take Aisha home.

"My name is Admiral Veruse. Is this where Planet-potentiary Aisha Clan-clan lives?"

"She won't be back until tomorrow," I lied without blinking.

"Very well, I shall return tomorrow at this hour." He saluted smartly, and then walked back to his ground car.

I went back to the kitchen, and continued to cook for the party tonight. When Jim and Aisha came back, I kept my mouth shut. The bad news could wait.

* * *

**Suzuka- the next Afternoon.**

I answered the door the second time the admiral darkened our door. Aisha was supposedly outback, watching with Jim, the Outlaw's take off into the sky. The other crew had taken off a mere hour ago, everyone ready to go to their OWN home, instead of this half-comfortable place on Sentinel III.

I conducted the Admiral to the front room, and asked him to wait.

I knew what was coming, I could see it clearly... but It hurt. I fulfilled my fate by going outback and telling Aisha she had a guest in the front room. I went back inside before them, and watched the events unfold from the top of the stairs.

* * *

**Aisha- Just before Suzuka comes out**

Jim and I continued to gaze at the sky for a long while until Suzuka came out. We HAD been Enjoying ourselves. But Suzuka just came out, said I had a guest, and then disappeared. Jim and I looked at each other, and finally, gave up and went inside.

Nothing could have possibly prepared me for the man I encountered in the living room, but Jim's influence on me was obvious in the fact that all I did was Glare at him until I saluted, and said with no respect for the man in my voice, "Admiral Veruse Clan-clan. What a surprise." _My father. _I added to Jim, who only blinked.

"Aisha. How are you?" My father asked as he stood, a smile trying to crease his face. However, I was in no mood to deal with my father.

"May we please cut the fat? I have things that need done."

"Very well, Aisha," He sighed, and then straightened, and set a sheet of paper on the table next to him. "Your orders are on this sheet. I will see you within three days." He stood up and left the room. Moments later, I heard the front door shut. Gritting my teeth, I went over to the table and picked up the sheet of paper.

Jim fled as tears began to sting my eyes. In the past three months, Jim has come to mean more and more to me... but somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew this day was coming.

My Order of Recall had finally made it to Sentinel III and delivered by no less than my own father. Could he have done this on purpose?

I sat heavily on the couch.

Ignore the orders of the C'tarl-c'tarl empire? Too risky. Resign my post as planet-potentiary? Tempting, but expensive; how would I get home? Obey my father, like a docile kitten? NEVER!

"Who was he that he has your fur on end?" Mel asked.

"My Commanding officer... and my father."

"Your father?" she asked innocently.

"Bad memories, Mel, don't ask." I gritted my teeth, and laid back on the couch.

"What will you do?" She asked after a moment.

"What would you do Mel? Leave your family behind for your blood, your people? If a race of Bio Androids came and offered you a place in their world, would you leave this? Gene, and all of us?"

"No. This is my family, Gene, Jim, Suzuka, even you Aisha. I wouldn't leave this for anything. But you are in a slightly different scenario than that. I can't help you make that choice." she said simply, and left.

"Duty..." I said, my hackles raising again. "To what do I owe my people? Do I owe them anything... or everything? Five YEARS have gone by. Why now?" I asked no one, verging on tears.

I knew where Jim was... No, I couldn't face him yet. I looked up and saw Suzuka at the top of the stairs. "What about you?"

"As Mel said, this is a decision that you must make for yourself. I can only tell you that no matter your choice, you will see Jim again." she said, then turned and walked away.

I stood and left. Gene was on the Outlaw Star, and while Gilliam wouldn't help, Gene might.

* * *

**Gene- an hour before Dinner**

"Gene? Can I ask for some advice?" I looked up at Aisha who was standing next to me.

"The Mighty C'tarl-c'tarl asking for advice? How can I refuse?" she smiled nervously at me, and then handed me a sheet of paper. It was from the C'tarl-c'tarl Grand Naval Council; a Notice of Recall. "I see..."

"No you don't. Five years ago, I would not have hesitated in packing my things and walking away from all this. But now, it's not just 'All This.' It's... It's... family, It's HOME."

He studied me for several long moments, and finally said; "Not the least important part of which being your developing relationship with Jim, is it?" Her jaw dropped as she looked at me. "I'll be honest, I've seen it coming for a while. I though you both could use someone to-"

"Don't say it! Please don't say it..." she begged.

"All right. But advice...Well, you could resign from here, couldn't you?"

"Maybe. I'd have to contact someone on the ship." I looked at the paper again, and re-read the officer she was under for the trip back to their home world.

"Clan-clan... isn't that your last name?" she nodded. "Is this Veruse related to you?"

"He's my father. I don't like him much."

"Do I dare ask why?" she shook her head. "All right. What options have you thought of?"

"Well, I could send him back in a long pine box..."

"Not your father Aisha, your job."

"Oh." her ears dropped. "Can't ignore their orders... can't go to the home world and still come back. It would take time... maybe too much." she looked at the floor, worried.

"Go Aisha. Go talk to him. You both need it." She looked at me, her eyes bright with reigned in tears, and she finally nodded. She then walked out of the ship, and made her way to the park.

Jim and Aisha had been falling in love, though little did they realize it. It was difficult for me to miss, though I did for a while. _And I am sorry about that Jim... this is going to test that love._

"Gilliam, I want you to start looking for a path to the C'tarl-c'tarl home world. I want to know how long it would take to get there, and how much it would cost in order to do so."

"Yes Gene."

"I'll get the information from you when I ask for it, all right?"

"Yes Gene. Incoming call;"

"Gene? Are you there?" Mel asked.

"Hey Mel, how's it going?" I asked with a smile.

"Has Aisha been there yet?"

"Been and Gone. She and Jim are the ones who really need to talk about this, you know." Mel's jaw dropped, and I smiled brightly at her. "I'm not QUITE as dense as I let people believe, you know." I told my wife.

"I never thought you were dense, I just..." I only smiled, and nodded, waiting for a response that wouldn't come.

"Were trying to protect Jim from my sharp tongue?" Mel nodded, helplessly. "It's all right Mel. Honestly, I've been hoping this would happen... Though this is a bad time for her Recall notice to get here."

"Is there anything we can do for them?"

I licked my lips in thought. "I'm working on it. If you get any ideas, let me know, all right?" She nodded, then asked when I would be home for dinner. I looked at the paper in my hand before telling Mel that I'd be home in an Hour.

* * *

**Jim- Three hours later**

I was curled up on the couch in the farthest corner I could, failing as best I could not to cry. First my family... In a way even Gene, though he's always around, he'd rather hang out with Mel.

But could I really loose Aisha?

The answer came back immediately; Far too easily.

I felt her every move as she went first to the Outlaw Star, and then made her way downtown headed here. She took her time on her way here, but she made a direct route.

When Aisha did get here, she only came over to me and held me, and together, with the only person we could trust on the entire planet, we cried.

_I don't want to be alone anymore!_ We thought together... but we knew that... no matter what happened, we were going to be apart... but not forever. I would not LET it be forever.

_So you have three more days?_ she nodded. _Mel will be hard pressed to make YOU a fitting farewell meal._ That got a wet laugh from her. _I don't think I can be there though..._

"Jim?"

"I don't think I can say goodbye..." I said silently. "Not to you..." _Not to any of my family, but most of all, not to you._

She nodded, and in her mind and her heart, I knew she understood. She stared at me for a while, and finally sat up.

"There's something you need to know Jim." she began. 

"There is something I need you to know Jim..." I sat up next to her, both of us fairly well cried out for the moment, though I was pretty sure what she had to say would start us both off again.

"I stopped and talked to Gene before I came out here, and believe it or not, he had actually noticed us growing closer over these past months. He said that he thought we could both use someone to... But I stopped him from finishing that... I had a feeling I knew what he was going to say, but I didn't want to hear it from him... I wanted to hear it from you... if it were true.

"But either Way, Jim, you have to know, that for me, it is True," She leaned forward and put her arms around me, and touched her forehead to mine, looking into my eyes as deeply as she could.

"I love you Jim Hawking."

We slept together for the first time that night, but when I woke she was gone, out of our Cave, off our planet, and away from our home.

I lay there for a long time, feeling empty. I finally stood and dressed, and went home. Terribly empty it seemed, though Melfina greeted me as cheerfully as she could, which was only about three watts less than her normal self. Suzuka nodded, and Gene said nothing, just pulled out a chair and squeezed my shoulder in support. After breakfast, I ignored the worried looks of my crewmates and went to my room.

There, I found her final farewell to me.

* * *

**Aisha's Letter to Jim**

_My Dearest Jim..._

I know that there isn't anything to say really and truly. You have my love, and you always will.

ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT!

I will be gone for awhile, I admit, but it won't be forever. Until I do return, keep this to remind you of me. I had actually bought it so I could SEE your reaction, but I need you to know, you were the reason I had bought it. 

Until We see each other again, but never Good Bye.

P.S; I had Mel take the picture, So I hope you like it.

* * *

**Jim Hawking**

It was an Image of Aisha wearing a green, long cut gown with bloused sleeves, and a lower neckline. 

_It really brings out your eyes Aisha._ I thought into the voids, both outer space, and the one Aisha left in my heart...

* * *

**Narrator- the End**

Is this the end? 

Have you ever read ANY of my other stories? I prefer happy endings, thank you. but this is the end of the first part. 

A preview of things to come? Hmm... [shrugs] 

Aisha goes to the home world, hooks up with her younger brother and her best friend, faces off against not only her father, but also the C'tarl-c'tarl naval Council. 

Chapter two is complete, and is currently posted on my web page, I have to reedit it in order to post it on , so that may take me a bit of Time. I'll try to get that done this weekend. At the latest, Aisha's Home will be posted as the second chapter by the end of next week. 

See you next Story.


	2. Aisha's Home

Disclaimer: This story will make more sense than my last one, I promise... I hope. You know, I wish I even owned a copy of the First season of Outlaw Star. Eventually, I hope to get an opportunity to go over these again and edit out my own turns of phrase, but I don't have that much time on my hands currently. Since I don't have a copy of the first season, it follows logically that I do not own Outlaw Star.

All right, this chapter is a lot more sappy than the first, espicially since I am concentrating on three couples, Jim and Aisha of course, and two sets of original characters. Well, actually one set of ocs, and one set that is an oc and a crossover from the movie Treasure Planet. I don't own that movie either. Sorry everyone, it took me longer than I expected to get it in format.

Disclaimers and authors notes complete. Commencing story

* * *

**How do you Say Goodbye?  
Chapter 2; Aisha's Home**

* * *

**Aisha**

All I have of him now are my memories. It had occurred to me as we lifted that I could have invited him to come with me, but as the thought occurred, I knew he would never be happy among my people.

And I, with nothing of him but my memories, stood and stared out of the window at the stars speeding past me.

How small I felt... I sighed and leaned my head against the window. They made me think that the problems of a C'tarl and a human don't amount to much when compared to the problems of a star. As last time, the stars allowed their calm to enter me...

But I still missed him.

My door buzzed. I sent out a searching thought and did not recognize the presence, though it felt somehow familiar.

Spending so much time among the humans, I think, somehow opened my mind in some way. I can recognize people without seeing them, and I can speak to some people without speaking, more like sending them my thoughts. Telepathy, humans call it.

I ignored it, but the presence wasn't leaving. The presence KNEW I was in here.

I only knew of one other C'tarl who could ever do such a thing. but she wouldn't be on a navy ship...

But when I opened the door, there she stood; Lanaya Cait-lyn. From a much younger family then mine, she had her skull cracked open when she was young, and so grew up with telepathy. We had gone to the academy together, but a week before we were to graduate, she quit. She never told me why.

"A conundrum by nature requires little to explain;  
But maybe back together, we'll find why we're the same?"

I smiled at Lanaya, and hugged her. In school, we were like family... the only family the two of us had at the Academy.

"News must be exchanged, my friend;  
So much has happened to us since then...  
So will you invite me in?  
Or shall we stand here and confess our sins?" I laughed at the dry humor in Lanaya's voice.

Once we were seated on my couch, I looked at her. She wore a Dancher's uniform with reluctant ease.

"I have to admit, I didn't expect you to go back to the academy." She smiled, ironically.

"Dancher Cait-lyn, the ever ready,  
At your service planet-potentiary."

"Why are you Dancher? You always had better grades than I, and were FAR more even tempered." she snorted.

"Daughter of a general, Never was I,  
But I need wings with which to fly.  
My home is not where we are going, in it's place,  
but somewhere out here, floating among space."

"You think my father had a hand on the placement board?"

She only raised her eyebrow, and, failing to find a word to rhyme with naïve, she settled for that pointed look and silence.

After a moment, her face softened. "What's happened to you Aisha? You think now. before you speak, and you listen... a million other subtle differences have occurred that I can't quite touch. What happened?" she asked, dropping her normal poetry and set her hand halfway between us in mid air.

She was asking me if she could scan my memories. I knew her well enough to know that. I also knew her well enough to know that if I let her scan me without some kind of warning, she'd be in shock for about a year (I SAW that once, wouldn't say a thing, had a funny dazed expression on her face, and still got good grades that year. I was very impressed.)

"The short version, my dearest friend, is that I fell in love."

"Yeah, sure, the warrior among brigands?" I said nothing, only reached out, and set my hand on her own. Within my mind, We replayed my memories of the last six years, beginning with my exile to blue heaven. I felt my friends astonishment at the dream I had before I broke Jim's monitor. Her astonishment deepened as my relationship with my youngest crew member began to grow.

_A human... trust you to have exotic tastes..._ we sat in the cave Jim and I shared somewhere between Lanaya's mind and my own.

_Not a human, Jim. Jim Hawking, the single person in the entire universe that somehow, without even trying, caught my heart with his own._

She smiled with a trace of bitterness, _A human lover is exactly your taste...  
I'm glad you, at least, have found your place._

I gave her a strange look, and then reversed the data stream, so that I read through HER last six years. A few flings with various personages, but no sight of a soulmate.

_So why did your orders, you obey?  
With no reason to come home... and every one to stay?_

_I wanted to see my family... My brother, Frizko._

And as special as, back home, your lover,  
this family is as important? Your brother?

Again, I showed her my memories. There were arguments between us, and fights, but laced through everything we did there was love... swimming in the river, lazing about the backyard, even in our fights, we knew we wouldn't hold back, but neither would we hurt each other.

_You lucky wench._ I smiled at her because she didn't bother to rhyme it. _How could you be so lucky Aisha?_

When the buzzer on my door went off, we retreated to the real world, all of about two minutes of real time passed with two hour's worth of physical conversation.

On the other side of my door THIS time was my father.

_Admiral Veruse Clan-clan..._ I thought, clenching my teeth, and in general, psyching myself up for a battle. Lanaya reached over and put her hand on my shoulder. All my rage seemed to drain out of me.

I finally nodded and stood up. I still hated the man, but I hid that as best I could.

"Door open." I did not invite him in.

At least he was smart enough to realize it.

"Planet-potentiary Clan-clan, I was wondering if you would care to join me for dinner?"

"Admiral Clan-clan, as tempting as your offer is, I must decline due to the fact that I already have a dining partner for this evening." he looked at the Dancher sitting next to me, and recognized her with a frown. She only smiled at him politely.

"Very well then, perhaps lunch tomorrow?"

_He's not going to give up, besides, I'm on duty during lunch._ I sent her a nod of agreement.

"As you would, Admiral Clan-clan." I said and saluted him.

He saluted me with as much dignity as he could muster, and left.

_Well... That could have been better done,  
Though there is little I would trade to have caught THAT one._ she thought with a smile. I smiled sadly back.

"My father..." I said, and slugged the wall.

* * *

Well, Lunch the next day with my father was an ORDEAL... It was terrible! To start with, I didn't eat much, in my mind, I was still living with people who ate MUCH less then me, and he spoke of his career, himself, his wife, himself, Frizko, himself, and finally told me of how he managed that last promotion, by sending a ship to it's destruction. 

Then he asked me about MY last six years.

I picked at my salad as I pondered several responses. I finally replied with the easiest and most complex.

"Hard... long... lonely. Why did it take the council five years to send for me?"

"I wouldn't dare to question the council, Aisha," he lied easily.

"I see." I cracked my neck loudly gulped the rest of my lunch, and then went on my way, taking myself on a tour of my father's ship; the _Queens Knight_.

I finally found the workout room, which is where Lanaya found me after her shift.

"He lied to me."

"This should not be a surprise to you,  
who have known him to live one life and two."

"I know it shouldn't... but it-! still-! hurts-!" I said hitting a punching bag. I leaned up against it, and thought with furious despair, _Jim! WHERE ARE YOU!? Why aren't you with me? Why did I ever leave you...?_

* * *

**Jim Hawking**

It had distracted me, but then Suzuka's blade landed on my back... Hard.

"Are you all right Jim?"

"Yeah... fine," I grunted.

"You are not easily distracted, Jim, what is it?"

"I thought Aisha... asked me a question." Suzuka changed her hold on her blade to what I think of as her "ready" stance. Ready for anything from an attack to a proposal. She then narrowed her eyes.

"Were you Gene, I'd say you imagined it, but you are not..." she became lost in thought. when I shifted position, she started. "Shall we call it a day, or shall we continue?"

"Let's call it a day. I'm tired."

"At that distance I would be too." Suzuka said and then, for all intents and purposes, disappeared.

I set my bokuto in it's place and went to take a shower.

_Why aren't you with me Aisha? Why are we not at least together?_

Coming out of the shower, Mel found me. "Jim, did you forget about your appointment?"

I thought for a moment, then remembered. "Oh, the applicant... She's already here?" I considered what to do.

"If you'd like, Suzuka or I could go today?" I was tempted.

"No. I need to take the first round. It has to go as we planned." I sighed. "Give her my apologies, and ask her to wait for ten minutes while I get dressed... And if you could bring me up something to drink, I'd appreciate it."

"Are you all right Jim, after sparring with Suzuka?"

"She distracted me today, when I was in the middle of a block."

"That's dangerous..." I scoffed, and showed her the nice bruise on my shoulder. She winced in sympathy. "Are you sure you don't want someone else to go today?" I only looked at her, my eyebrow raised. she nodded. "All right. I'll bring you some Fire Tea once I've spoken to Laina."

Laina Jamin... 22 years, tests say she's a Knight Class warrior. I was a Fighter Class, Gene was Gunner Class, and Suzuka was a Ninja Class. I.Q. was 120, and excellent problem solving skills. Knowledge of martial arts was the highest of All the applicants so far, but fights more with swords and staves.

Once I finished my Tea, I went to greet her.

"Laina Jamin?"

"Mr. Hawking?" she said, after a ever so slight hesitation.

"First things first, my name is Jim. I'm not old enough to be considered a Mister to someone who is five years older than I. Second, There are no ranks in this company, only experience. We have done this kind of stuff for going on seven years by now. In Short, I severely hope it wasn't my age that gave you pause. Now, before we begin my first ... challenge, do you have any questions?"

"Could you explain the interview process?" I nodded and sat down. When she sat down across from me, I began;

"Because we are a Jack of All Trades Organization, our people have to be able to do a variety of things, and within that, they have to be able to do things in different ways.

"There are five people in this corporation, and each of us has different specialties, so each of us have to give you at least one test, though two of us have to give you two. In the end, it runs down like this;

"The first day, you and I fight. The second day, you work with Melfina, she drills you about computers, and cooking. The third day, you battle the boss, Gene Starwind, and that is the second fight. After that, the fourth day, We go to the ship, the Outlaw Star. Gilliam drills you on the operations of a ship, and I drill you on the engine of a car. The fifth and final day you face off against our best fighter, Suzuka Twilight.

"Now, bluntly, we don't expect you to be able to pass any of these tests, but they are more like... a pretest. all we want to do is find out how far you can go. All make sense?"

She nodded.

"Then are you ready?" Again, she nodded. "Excellent, follow me."

I led her out back to where there was still a dent in the wall from when I had punched my first instructor into it. I smiled when I saw that but kept walking to the circle I had drawn into the ground. Once we were both in, I took off my bracelet, and set it outside of the circle, then I completed the circle, which then began to glow.

"Wards. I took off the Bracelet, but I don't really need it any more. It opened my mind, so I'm still not quite sure what might happen if I lose my train of thought in a battle, so the wards are for everyone else's safety."

"What about Mine?" we said together. I shook my head.

"I'm taking it easy on you, so I shouldn't be able to hurt you. If, by some chance, you do see me readying an attack you think might actually injure you..." I set my hand on the ward, and symbols appeared every three feet on the wall, about waist high. "Touch any of those. it'll knock me out, the energy will disperse, and the fight will be over. Ready?"

She nodded, and got into her own ready position.

I powered up as I took a deep breath, and back down as I let the breath out. We started easy, blows and dodges, and an occasional block, then swiftly advanced as she proved herself... with every blow, kick, block, and dodge, her speed and power raised, to which I responded by raising my own.

Normally, I let this contest go after a half hour, but this time, I hadn't felt her reach her limit yet.

After an hour we were both breathing hard and sweating profusely. I almost smiled... I did smile. It had been a long time since I had been able to bring out my true potential...

"Few people make it this long in a fight... but you're not done yet... If I'm right..." I said slowly, "You've barely begun." I dropped my fighting stance, and stood straight. "Show me your power. Bring all of your energy into you." I said when she seemed confused.

"No," she said with a smile. "Not this close to a planet. I'll bring in about a quarter of my power for you to see."

With that, she closed her eyes, and lowered her head to her chest. In prayer she brought her innate power to the surface... or at least a quarter thereof. I wondered, as I felt one quarter of her power, what would happen if she brought all of her energy into one point.

Her power dropped as if she had dropped a hot pot without potholders.

"In short, I have destroyed planets doing that, and so, prefer not to go all the way."

"Thanks." I touched the ward, which dissolved, and turned to Laina. "Come on, it's a hot day, and after that workout, you could use a shower, a change of clothes, and a decent meal. Your interview may be changed, but you'll be informed of that tomorrow." She nodded, and as she took a shower, Mel laid out some clothes that might fit her while I made a pizza.

I wasn't up to the culinary masterpieces my breakfast's usually were, not yet.

* * *

She had gone home, and we were seated around the table, the four of us, discussing Laina. 

"You," I said looking at Gene, "Won't beat her... at least I doubt. You," turning to Suzuka, "Might beat her. I don't know how she is with range weapons, but if I had been fighting her, instead of testing her, I would have found myself beaten down severely. We fought for an hour, and she still hadn't reached her top. A fourth of her power was another ten minutes away... She probably would have stopped the fight then."

"So what is your advice?" Gene asked.

"Let Mel, Gilliam and I have our turns, but don't you two bother fighting her... though you should probably find out how good she is with guns.

"I have to go to bed right now. Just this second." I said as I stood up. "Mel, let me know what you guys decide, All right?"

She nodded, "Good night, Jim. Sleep well."

I gave her a weak smile, and a humorless chuckle, "Thanks, Mel."

* * *

That was the first night we dreamed together. 

_How did you get here?_ I asked as She walked toward where I was sitting on the beach.

_I could ask you the same thing, you know._ she replied, sitting next to me.

We put our arms around each other and kissed.

_How long has it been Aisha?_

One week.

Why didn't you invite me with you, Aisha? she shrugged.

_The Idea didn't occur to me until we were already past the heliopause._

_Ah, I see. So how has your trip been so far?_ her fur began to stand on end, but she made a conscious effort, and relaxed.

_Well, I haven't been able to shove my father out of an airlock yet... and he seems to want to spend some "quality time" with his daughter who has been among humans for so long. On the plus side, I found my best friend again..._ an image of Lanaya Cait-lyn appeared before us, who then settled down to her knees, and looked at us both.

_You two do realize that you are going to wake up tomorrow fried beyond all possible belief? You two are communicating across LIGHT YEARS._

Lanaya, what are you doing in my dream?

I was worried about you. Tomorrow is not going to be an easy day, and you need your sleep. Aisha sighed, but nodded.

_Lanaya, This is my boyfriend, Jim Hawking. Jim, my best friend from the Academy, Lanaya Cait-lyn, a Dancher in the C'tarl Navy._

Hello Jim. Now, please, help me out. She needs sleep, and don't you have something to do tomorrow? I sighed, and rubbed my shoulder where I had the bruise from Suzuka. Lanaya sighed in disgust, and turned me around, _Let me see it._ is all she said.

Aisha walked around to look at the bruise as well.

_Jim, what happened?_

We were sparring and Suzuka got a lucky strike.

When?

This morning sometime.

It was me, wasn't it. she said with no trace of a question as she laid her hand upon the bruise.

_It was NOT your fault Aisha._ I was about to continue when I saw Lanaya was still here. _Could you please excuse us, Lanaya?_

If I leave you're not going to bed for another hour... You don't get REST here, you're too far apart... The price of long distance is greater than what you get sleeping tonight... Just heal that, please, Aisha, and let's go? Aisha removed her hand from my shoulder, and then wrapped her arms around me.

_Take a nap tomorrow afternoon, all right?_ she told me. I nodded, and we kissed again, and then we both fell away from the beach.

When my alarm went off, I forgot that I had replaced my bracelet, so instead of hitting the snooze telekinetically, I blew the alarm clock to small bits.

_You know, I should be mad right now... but I just cannot be._ I thought, and then drowned in darkness again.

* * *

**Lanaya**

How are they capable of such a long distance meeting? I've met people light years away that I try to contact telepathically, and the most I can get to them is "call me." And these two bring together a Dreamscape on which they both stand. I do Dreamscapes all the time, but a Dreamscape, in which two or more persons physically interact.... I've never heard such a thing being done at such a distance.

How to put in words mere thoughts/impressions that mean so much?  
Yet the two lovers, reach across light years...! and more than touch!  
How physical can this Dreamscape be?  
I suppose it wouldn't matter, not to me.  
I who dream of sailing the stars, and surfing the milky way...  
Still stand in despair as I try to have my say.  
To one single pair of lovers, my best friend and her mate.  
It is so easy to love someone, and the same person to hate.  
But I do not hate Aisha, my friend,  
I will stand by their side, until my heart will mend...  
thoughts must be considered on their psychic abilities,  
but enough about them for the night!  
This ship must be piloted to the best of my skills  
At least until my planet of origin is in sight.

* * *

**Melfina**

I heard him destroy another alarm clock, and put that on my list of things to get next time I went to the store. He went through those far too often in a month. I'll have to ask him how he forgot to take off the bracelet later.

Maybe I should have him take it off for a while, to see if it would have an adverse affect on his abilities? I was still considering that thought when Laina arrived.

"Hello Melfina." Her brown hair shook in her braids as she gave a short nod.

"Come in Laina." I told her and led her to the kitchen. "We have much to take care of, but first; your interview.

"Obviously you did better than expected against Jim, considering he did not bother to call it off. He usually ends the battle after a half hour... how long were you two fighting?"

She shrugged, "An hour maybe? Not sure."

"Hmmm..." I thought about that for a moment, and finally shook it off. "Anyway, We all agreed that your interview needed changed. Tomorrow you will meet with Gene as planned, but his test will be sharp shooting. Today I will quiz you in my scheduled tasks, and then, if we have enough time, either Jim or Gilliam will give you their tests. Will three tests be too much for one day?"

She shook her head.

"All right then, did you have any questions?"

* * *

We were well into the second exam when Jim finally stumbled out of his room to the kitchen, and rested his head on the kitchen table. I went and got him some milk, and then moved back to Laina. 

She was a fair cook, but relied to much on the directions, and as per the computer end, she was almost as good as Jim... Almost.

"All right then, take a rest. You're good for a human." I then went back over to Jim, and sat across from him.

"Are you all right?" He raised his eyes up and fuzzily glared at me through squinted eyes, as though confused.

"Oh... Mel..." he said as he scrubbed his face and yawned.

"I'll have Gilliam give his test today, all right?"

His mind obviously not in residence, he replied; "Yeah, that's fine."

"Go back to bed Jim... you need it very badly." he nodded, and put his head back down on his arms. I smiled sadly; "Dream well Jim." Then escorted Laina to the ship out the side door.

"Why is Jim so fried?"

"First he was sparring with Suzuka yesterday, second he fought with you, but that shouldn't have brought him down that much... aside from those, I don't know. I do know he blew his alarm clock up again. Third one this month too..."

"Third alarm clock?" she asked.

"Yes," I said with a nod.

"What do you mean he blew it up?"

"I'll let him explain that. It's... an involved story. I will say it began with the bracelet."

* * *

**Aisha**

Various people tried to wake me up, but Lanaya made them all go away, for which I was grateful. I woke for an hour at the start of the evening shift, in which Lanaya gave me some food, and said I told you so just as I was falling back to sleep.

I woke again the next afternoon, and curled up on my couch, watching the stars fly past me until Lanaya got off about three hours later. She brought dinner enough for three people. I ate two and a half, and she ate the rest of the third.

"So does twenty eight hours of sleep, out of 32 hours, tell you exactly how much energy you expended in that short conversation with him?"

I nodded, my eyes closed, but still staring out at the stars.

"All things considered, I suppose that's a good thing..." she said mysteriously.

"What?" I wondered aloud.

"The calm of the stars quietly affects you  
As your mind takes on their serenity.  
Meditation is a good thing to practice  
for... one such as yourself, physically active."

I scoffed.

_And what do you think we were doing yesterday?  
reading a part or staging a play?_  
"You and Jim stretched across thirty light years, and not only spoke, but touched.  
Had I tried the same, I would have paid back much more... very Much."

"What do you mean touched?" I asked as I sat up and looked at her.

"It's like this... if you called Jim right now and told him to look at his shoulder, it would be healed. There would not be a bruise, the muscle would not be stiff, but odds are he would be as tired as you. When we were in your cave the other day, we forged a link between our minds, and then set up that Dreamscape. You and Jim did something similar from a greater distance than the three feet apart that we were.

"You each reached across fifteen light years... and Touched. I had jumped on your bridge, that's why I wasn't wasted... sorry about that."

"It's all right." I said, and stared out at the stars, considering.

"Meditate, sleep, don't try to contact Jim, we are just under forty light years apart now. Good night."

She left me with much more than an empty cabin. I was just thankful she didn't try to RHYME all that.

* * *

**Jim**

The second morning after, I woke refreshed, feeling better than I had yesterday. So Gene, Laina and I went to the shooting range, then I took her out on a job and let her take a look at it. The request had come in while she had been shooting

"So why were you so fried yesterday?" she asked as she looked at the undercarriage of a late model hover car.

"I'm not entirely sure." I said with no hesitation.

"But you know." I looked down at her, around the engine, a curious expression on my face.

"What makes you so sure? Are you a telepath?"

"Not exactly. It's more empathy, but I... Well, let's just say I sense things." She must have picked up on my skepticism, because she continued. "It's like this; I can SEE you standing there," she began as she pulled out from under the vehicle, and continued as she began to check things on the top of the engine, "And while I SENSE that you are here, I don't sense that you are ALL there. Not to imply that you are insane, just to say that a part of you is somewhere else.

"There we are... good baby." I stepped back to watch her as I contemplated her thoughts.

She was very knowing about the engine of this vehicle, she just needed more experience working with cars. I let her stumble a while. every so often she glanced at me, but I was sitting on my computer looking at some things. It took her forty-five minutes to give up, so I went over, and reached under the hood to show her.

She smacked herself on the forehead for such a stupid mistake, and then turned the engine over. Purred like a kitten.

* * *

**Laina**

He took me to a cafe for dinner to apologize for making me stumble around , despite the fact he was testing me.

"The reason we need to hire a new person," he said after the waiter took our orders, "Is because a member of our crew just left us. Her name was Aisha... We are in love. Just as it happened, she was ordered back to her home world. Right now, she is about forty-three light years from here.

"Two nights ago, she was 30 light years from here, we reached out to each other... and, some how... I don't know how to explain it, it's like we weren't light years apart... we were together."

"A Dream Stage." I supplied. "A place between two minds created of imagination where time goes faster. Good place to hold a conversation. But across 30 light years? No wonder you were so fried yesterday. I'm surprised you can move today."

"Well, any way, that's where the rest of me is. Forty-three light years away." I looked At him wondering about the bond he was beginning to describe.

"Lovers?" I asked. He nodded. For a moment I thought about that. They love each other, they have consummated their relationship... Hmm... "Have you heard from her at all beside that Dream Stage?" I wondered aloud.

"Before I met you, Suzuka and I were sparring. I thought I heard her say something, but you don't want to brake concentration when you fight Suzuka, She almost cracked my collarbone." he said with a grimace for the memory.

"Did she say something?"

"Yes... but I didn't hear it."

"Mm-hmm. How is your shoulder?" Our meals came, and he stared at his plate for a while before looking at me. "She healed it in the Dream Stage," I said, guessing the meaning behind is responses.

"You're good." he said, surprised.

Wow. Up until now, it's only been theories and conjectures, mere Ideas...

"Tell me about your bracelet."

Again he paused, this time collecting his thoughts, as he began to speak, I could almost see him rehearsing the story before he spoke it aloud.

"Someone said he found it in the dragon ruins, none of his crew could do with it what he could, and he had used it long enough that he didn't need it anymore, so he gave it to me, because I could use it like he could."

He paused for a moment, reflecting on himself, wondering just what had changed within him since he began to wear the Bracelet.

"It opened... not only my mind, but my skull, so I can leave my body, and find things outside of it..." I nodded, assuring him he was making sense. "It also gave me so much power."

He quit talking and applied himself to his meal. So I took his cue, and ate my meal. This will definitely be interesting.

* * *

**Jim Hawkins**

My solar surfer was working as perfect as normal, and I was winging across the chasm when the orders came through.

_Centroid of the Mechanism-_ I thought to myself with resignation. I finally shook my head, and turned my board back toward the Benbow Inn.

I ran inside and hollered, "B.E.N.!"

"How's it going Jimmy?" he asked loudly as he walked into the room, brass finish shining.

"We've got to get to the ship, Ben, orders just came through." he leaped and landed on his gears and headed towards the door, so we took off, Ben keeping up very well after all our races.

The _RLS Legacy II_ waited at the dock for us. I stowed my board in my cabin and just got on deck when Amelia and Delbert boarded.

I looked at the compliment and wondered where Calistis was. I looked at my watch, a frown creasing my face. I watched my watch as Amelia took her place just behind the helm.

"Admiral On Deck!" I yelled out, continuing to look at my watch

"[Captain Hawkins!]" Was yelled just as Amelia began to address me. I frowned further as the hail was repeated.

[Per... Permission to come aboard Captain Hawkins, sir!]

I frowned at Calistis, and folded my arms to let her understand precisely how disappointed I was.

Calistis was interesting, she was a Gaoul (Gah-ool), big wings, small hands, and one of the best rescue people I have ever had the privilege to know. She worked in the crows nest as my lookout.

On the minus side, she had no sense of time, no sense of humor, and no sense of... I don't know, maybe Depth, or perspective.

"Report to your post Calistis, I will talk to you an hour after supper, understood?"

[Yes Captain.] she said with a nod.

I was then able to turn to Amelia and report, "All crew accounted for captain, how long until lift off?"

"As soon as you can get the _Legacy _in the air Jim, we'll be on our way." Delbert told me.

"Bringing solar fusion drives online as we speak captain," B.E.N. told me.

"Then take her out Ben."

As he turned back to his station, he queried; "Are you sure you have everything captain? Your mother worries about you, you know." he informed me as he typed commands into his console.

"Yes Ben, I know." I turned to look at Delbert and Amelia, "My mom's watching the Kids?" They both nodded. "Good. Morph will be with her then.

"All right Crew, look sharp!"

I looked over the nine men, women, and Robot that complimented the Legacy II with me as their captain. Introductions will have to wait though, now is the time to surf the STARS.

* * *

**Laina**

So they did hire me, after an intense debate among the crew, they decided that I was good enough that they did not want to risk me working AGAINST them. Which I took because I needed a job. Jim and Mel even helped me move in. All of Aisha's stuff was put in storage, and I was given her old room. I watched Jim remember something bittersweet from his past that must have took place in this room.

On days we had no missions, I would spar with either Suzuka or Jim, because something almost ALWAYS came up on Missions.

Time passed swiftly since it was about a week after their first Dreamscape that they shared their second, the day before Aisha would land on her home world. If he would have warned me he was going to do so, I would have allowed him my power to reach across the distance, but he slept for 72 hours, and was STILL fried when he woke.

Two days before he woke, I received an e-mail from the C'tarl military;

* * *

**Lanaya's First Email**

To: Laina Jamin, Starwind and Hawking Inc.

From: Dancher Lanaya Cait-lyn, C'tarl-C'tarl Navy

I send apologies to one I do not know,  
for e-mailing you, and being so bold.

Hello Laina, and forgive me for e-mailing you with out your permission, but they cannot meet like this so often. Aisha is still asleep. While she is asleep, I can sense her memories, and Jim told her about you last night, so I figured I may have found a contemporary.

My name is Lanaya Cait-lyn, a Dancher in my peoples Navy, I drive people crazy by Rhyming every word I speak. Aisha is my best friend, and I would love nothing more than for her to be happy, but Jim and Aisha do not get sleep on their Dream Stage. You know what a Dream Stage is, right? A stage between two peoples minds?

I wanted to talk to you about them. They have only slept together once; Her father showing up pushed their hand on that, but that couldn't be helped. I have suspicions on them and their relationship, and would like to hear of your opinions. Do you know what soulmates are?

Anyway, if you can keep him from trying that again, I'd appreciate it. Aisha needs to get back there as soon as possible, but their Dreamscapes, as comforting as they are to the two of them, are in fact the worst thing they can do for each other. I've been trying to explain that to Aisha, but have had little luck. The problem is that they are too far apart to get any rest. If they were on the same planet, this wouldn't be a problem.

Maybe we can work on a way to boost their power so it doesn't drain them as much? I'd appreciate your getting back to me.

Lanaya

* * *

**Laina**

Interesting... I went and checked on Jim, and sure enough, he was asleep. I pondered what this meant for Jim and Aisha, and for Lanaya.

I went into the kitchen with a hard copy of Lanaya's e-mail, and considered it over a mug of Raspberry tea.

"Hey Laina, do you know where Jim is?" Gene asked as he came in to the room. I gestured to Jim's room but added;

"But he's asleep. He won't be up for another couple days I think."

"Why is That?" Gene asked with a scowl. I handed him Lanaya's letter "Huh, isn't that interesting."

"Yeah it is. Is there anything that I can help you with Gene?"

"Sure, we got a job downtown. I'll explain on the way."

* * *

**Laina's First email**

Dear Lanaya; I appreciate the definition of a Dreamscape, Gene found it helpful, I'm sure. I suppose I ought to be impressed that a C'tarl knows of a Dreamscape. But all this is beside the point. I think that they may be soulmates. There are no easy answers, only more questions. Has Aisha told you about Jim's Bracelet? I think it may be magic... but what kind is a bit beyond me. Thus a second reason that he is not as fried as she normally is. How long did she sleep the first time? He only slept most of the day, woke in the afternoon, stumbled to the kitchen, and rested at the kitchen table, but he wasn't awake, I doubt. Within ten minutes, he stumbled back to his room. Had I known he was going to do that last night, I would have allowed him to use my energy. but then it would be Jim/Laina, not Jim. I'll work on that. 

Laina

* * *

**Lanaya**

When she woke, she found herself in the infirmary on the naval base, me nearby. Despite her being asleep, the transfer went smoothly from pilot of the _QueensKnight_ to her personal Aide. _QueensKnight_ already shipped out under the auspices of her father.

Which, all things considered, was probably the best thing that could happen; Veruse took the entire family out for dinner, or would have, and you'll have to imagine what would have happened if Aisha had been there, but I would put my money on a dead body before the night was through.

_Where am I?_ she said, pretending to sleep.

_Well, you're here. The council wants you debriefed, otherwise you'd be there. Personally, I'd like to kill you for what you did three days ago..._ I sighed _But I won't. Instead, I became your Aide._

I need an Aide?

Apparently the council thinks so. Shall we find out why?

She then woke up.

* * *

"Aisha Clan-clan, Planet-potentiary of the C'tarl-C'tarl navy, Your orders are as follows; 

"You and your aide have the next week off, after your vacation, you must report with your aide to the ship yard to claim a ship for your next mission. Orders have already been cut, but you will not receive them until you get your ship. Do you have any questions?"

"How will I choose a ship if I do not know what my mission?"

"The Ship yard will give you the choice of crafts, any of them will do for your mission. Is there anything else?"

_Don't do it Aisha... Don't ask them._

She stood there for all of thirty seconds, and finally shook her head.

"Very well then, adjourned." The Seven men and women of the Naval Council stood and filed out of the room. She then turned and glared at me.

"Yep, I'm the bad guy." I said with a nod.

"Why."

"Because... As much as you'd like to rip their throats out, you can't blame them. For all you know it may have been your father who noticed you were missing. besides, questioning their orders you might get lucky and be killed instantly. Worse fate is dishonorable discharge."

"No... The worst fate is never seeing Jim again."

She turned and walked away. She was much calmer now than she had been, so I decided to leave her at that, and we headed for her place.

* * *

**Frizko**

"Hello?!" Was called out from the foyer. I saved my report, and walked out into the main hall since I was alone in the house right now.

I stopped short when I saw the two Naval uniforms in the hall. Both were familiar, but it took me a second to recognize them.

"Aisha?" I asked. The two women looked at me, and then the higher ranking of the two ran at me. I met her half way, and gave my sister a bear hug no weaker than hers.

"And Lanaya Cait-lyn, you went back to the Academy?" I asked my sister's best friend. "Aisha had told me you bailed on the Navy."

"I suppose impatient I have grown,  
In leaving the planet that was once my home."

"Can't you be Normal?" I had forgotten that aspect of my sister's best friend.

"A Feat ordered by all but my officer who commands,  
and attained by none other than."

"And who's your C.O.?"

"Um... That would be me. Wow, You've grown!"

"Well, that tends to happen." I said, without thinking.

I regretted my words when my sister's eyes began to tear. "I'm so sorry Frizko!"

"No, It's all right," I said hugging her again, only loving her, no blame assigned to her. I happened to glance at Lanaya, who looked shocked. Her face flipped back to neutral when she saw I noticed her.

"C'mon Sis, I think we could all use a swim, how about it?"

* * *

**Lanaya**

After Supper that night, Frizko pulled me off to the side.

"Is my sister really in the state I think she is?" he asked me.

"Well, I'd say it was a good possibility,  
but she doesn't know herself now, does she?

"That's what I thought." he said and turned away.

"You aren't going...?" I asked shocked.

"No. She would skin me alive. and then weep because she overreacted. Skinning me, would be normal, but to see MY sister weep is more than I would want to bear." he said and turned away.

So they spoke together. I helped them set up a Dreamscape between them, and they spoke for hours... physical hours. probably fought it out a time or two, as well.

I went to my room early, and sat down to write a letter to Laina

* * *

**Lanaya's second email**

Laina;

An interesting turn of events has appeared, but since it isn't official yet, I'd rather not tell you... there is always that one in a hundred million chance that I'm wrong. Jim probably won't be affected by this as far apart as they are, but be warned. I know a vague warning is useless, just keep a close eye on injuries he might feel from her.

Dang they are going to be close when they get back together.

Lanaya.

* * *

**Laina**

I laughed at Lanaya's closing statement, but agreed with it completely.

Huh. A One and a hundred million chance that she is wrong... Jim might not be affected, but personally, I wouldn't hold my breath on it.

None the less, I started looking up the biological data on the C'tarl.

* * *

**Frizko**

Aisha did not get any worse in the week we rested at home. When I got my new orders, there was a cause for celebration; I was assigned to my sister as her second aide.

"But why would I need one Aide, let alone two?" Aisha asked as she studied my orders.

"I suspect... that we will find out tomorrow...  
And odds are this will be to our sorrow."

I scowled at her, and she smiled back.

"Quit being a fatalist." She bowed, and went to find her swimsuit.

So the night came, and then the dawn, and once the three of us were up, we were off to the ship yard.

They offered us ships that were staffed by two to six people, thus the reason my sister needed two aides.

Our orders were to be a Diplomatic courier.

"I'M A BLASTED TAXI-CAB!" I don't think my sister liked her new assignment.

Five ships were offered us, and we took a tour of three of them before we got to the newly commissioned, nameless craft. From the second we saw the craft, we knew this wasn't C'tarl in design, "Built, probably, but not designed..." Lanaya said softly as we boarded that ship.

She was a small ship, though bigger than Aisha's old ship, and painted Gold and blue. The aero dynamic head created a slipstream for the rest of the body, which was only just less, the four newton reactors, and ether drive.

And four Grappler arms.

We wandered the ship in silence, and finally, she nodded, then looked at us. We nodded back.

"All right then people, to your posts." Aisha said.

"So what are you going to name her?" I asked.

* * *

**Aisha**

"To name a ship is to decide it's very nature... She shall be the _Deraloven_."

"Translated loosely, called the Light of Hope," Lanaya said, and then looked at me;  
"And they call me romantic? What a dope!"

I smiled at her and took my place in the central seat, and accessed my new orders, filled out the information on my ship, and was told to head for Gemini two where I would meet the delegation from Vega...

I only clenched my teeth.

* * *

**Laina**

And so time passed both on Sentinel, and in Hyperspace. Three months passed before anything interesting happened. They shared a Dream Stage once every month if they were close enough to sleep for no more than four days. Word of Starwind and Hawking Inc.'s work spread, so we were kept skipping, all of us, and I knew everything was dragging at Jim despite the bracelet.

But then it was confirmed.

* * *

**Aisha**

I pushed my plate away as I felt queasy once more.

"I don't know what is wrong with me..."

"You're right about that. You've been so self absorbed since you left him you probably haven't noticed."

"Noticed what?" I asked Lanaya bored.

"Personally, I'd rather you figured it out yourself."

"Lanaya. tell me," I said, annoyed.

"Remind me Aisha; how often do C'tarl women get their period?"

"Once every three to four standard months. Halfway between Bloods, we are in the most fertile of our cycle."

"Right. Now, when was your last Blood cycle?"

I blinked. I hadn't bled at all since...

WHAT?!

I took a deep breath, and stood up, and exited the lounge towards the sick bay of the _Deraloven_.

After some time, I sat in front of the computer, and accessed the results. I sat there looking at the screen for a long time trying to comprehend the words it displayed.

"I didn't know humans and C'tarl..."

"To be honest, I don't think any one did," Lanaya said as she walked into the room. "I sent an E-mail to Laina, asking her to have Jim expect you tonight. I figured you would want to tell him as soon as possible."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"Don't worry about the Ship, I have that under control."

"Thank you Lanaya."

"Telepathy I need not,  
To see you worried about Jim's response." she shook her head.  
"Jim, I admit, I know not well,  
but you love each other... just wait and see who fell." She said, and then left the room.

* * *

**Lanaya**

"It's confirmed." I said as I walked onto the bridge.

"Confirmed?" he looked at me.

"Aisha."

His eyebrows arced high onto his forehead, "Really?" I only nodded. "I wonder if that'll make it better or worse..."

* * *

**Jim**

From the moment we appeared together, I could tell something was up... and she was depressed, but I couldn't understand why.

So Instead of sitting next to her, I sat in front of her.

_What's wrong Aisha?_ she looked off to the side, and gestured.

_My best friend tells me I've been a bit more volatile lately... she finally got tired of it today._ she said as a Computer screen appeared to our side.

On the screen were Aisha's stats, I looked them over, but didn't see anything to surprise me until I got to the last line that she remembered.

_Aisha?_

We have been apart for three months, and it's been five since my last period.

Your pregnant? With my...?

She nodded, tears threatening to spill forth.

_Then why in hyperspace are you so sad?_ I asked reaching out to her. _Nothing could ever make me happier than to have a family with you Aisha... I love you._

Really? I only nodded, and she threw her arms around me, and hugged me near to choking. When she noticed, she let me breath, but still managed to hold me.

_Thank you Jim... I love you._

I love you too, Aisha. I said, and then kissed her. _I have some research to do when I wake up, and I have to go shopping._

For what? I shrugged.

_Something like this, I think._ I said, and then generated an image of a diamond ring in my hand.

_You don't have to do that, you know._

Yes I do, I said and kissed her again, _Because I want to._

I think we both have some studying to do before we go into anything as specific as that Jim, OK? Besides, if you can wait long enough for me to get back there, you can take Lanaya with you, and she can show you what I like.

What, you think I wouldn't do a good job picking out a ring on my own?

I know you would find the perfect ring for me, Jim, but trust me on this. Wait for a bit and do some research. I will be too, I promise.

* * *

**Lanaya**

"All right, she is back aboard, and should be asleep for... three days. not bad all things considered."

"Indeed." Frizko still didn't understand a lot, but he was learning steadily. I wondered what he would do when we got to Sentinel III, but alarms went off just then.

"Proximity alert, Pirates, most likely." Frizko stated as I made my way to my station.

"We don't attack first,  
but if they start a fight, we WILL show them our blood thirst." I informed him as I put on my Grappler Visor.

Their first hit smacked the left side of the bridge. I ejected the first pair of Grappler Arms and Got ready for grappler combat as I fired three missiles.

* * *

**Jim Hawkins**

"Pirate Attack off the Port Bow, Captain!" Calistis yelled

I pulled out my spyglass and turned my attention to where there were two ships in close quarters combat, Grappler combat.

"The One Vessel is confirmed as C'tarl registration, Captain Jimmy."

"And the other? READY THE CANNONS!" I called out.

"Pirates to the Bone," Ben Drawled.

"Open a Channel to the C'tarl vessel."

"Channel open Captain." Said my communication officer, a cyborg by the name of Kobal.

"C'tarl Vessel, this is the _Legacy_, inquiring if you might be in need of assistance."

I waited a moment for a reply.

"Legacy, This is the _Deraloven_, my home for now,  
And be advised, help would be appreciated, and how."

"Very well then _Deraloven_, stand by."

"Captain, are you sure you know what you are doing?" Delbert asked.

"When do I not?"

* * *

**Lanaya**

Help? Sure, I could use some.

Then a sail boat came up along side us and started blasting away with it's cannons.

"Whoa."

After the Pirate had been destroyed, two ships left the Legacy, one went to the ruins of the Pirate ship, and the other came to my ship.

"Golem, run a diagnostic on the ship, and get back to me," I ordered the AI as I picked up Frizko and put him on his bed. I then checked on Aisha, just as a knock sounded on the hull.

_Permission to come aboard? _I thought.

Being the ranking officer on this ship, It was up to me to greet them.

The Airlock read an atmosphere, so I opened it, and there stood a man, a bat, and a robot. The bat was a little shorter than the man, and the robot was a lot shorter.

"Nice place you got here, _Deraloven._" The robot said as he came in first. "The Name's B.E.N.; Bio-Electronic Navigator."

"Ben is my second in command," The man said as he came in, "And this is Calistis, one of my look outs."

We exchange greetings.

Then I looked at him for the first time.

"I am Captain Jim Hawkins." He had a bowl cut, but had a Horse tail in the back where the hair had grown. He stood Taller than me, but not by much. His name was Hawkins...? I wonder if he could be in some way related to Jim Hawking.

I just stood there staring at him for a minute or two before I realized I was staring. I probably blushed...

"I am Dancher Cait-lyn, Lanaya by name,  
I am Crew, but not the Captain.  
She is sleeping off a fright,  
and my crew-mate got knocked out in the fight," I said as I lead them to the galley.

"Would you like some Tea?"

"Please." Jim said with an ingratiating smile.

"Some medium weight motor oil would be appreciated." Ben said.

[I'll pass, thank you.] Calistis replied.

"You said your captain was asleep?"

I got the tea and went back to the Table. "Sorry, but I don't have any motor oil in the galley."

"That's all right, I'm good. Thank you, though, for offering." I nodded, and then sat down. I tired to put into words what had happened in the past three months, though I failed miserably.

"Captain Hawkins, may I please speak to you inside your mind?"

"All right."

* * *

**Jim Hawkins**

I knew it was a risk, but she seemed so out of sorts, I wondered if she'd be normal in her court. So we set up a Dream Stage where I learned of Aisha, Jim, the shadowy (as in no images of) crew of the Outlaw Star, the ominous shadows of the Naval Council, and her mission for the past three months.

_So she'll be asleep for the better part of the next two days after this one._

_How far apart did you say Aisha was from her boyfriend? _She brought up some star charts, and moved away from me.

_For every foot separating us should be about one light year,_ she said as she was looking around her trying to pin point her position. _About here._ she said and looked back at me.

She was about forty five feet away.

_Light years?_ She nodded. _No wonder she's tired._ She nodded again.

_Last night's Dream Stage is easily excusable though. She just found out that she's pregnant, and wanted to tell the father as soon as possible._

_A human-C'tarl hybrid?_ Lanaya nodded.

_Really, it'll be interesting to see._

_I'm sure. So where are you going right now?_

_Right now, and for maybe a little while, I have to Fix the Deraloven. Once she is, We have to keep heading that way._

I nodded as I exited the Dream Stage.

She took a look at the damage report the AI had gathered for her, and all things considered, they were in pretty good shape. None the less, I asked Ben to remain with her and help with the repairs, and I dispatched Calistis to take a look at Frizko, then I took the boat back to my ship, and reported to the Admiral in my cabin.

"Captain." she said with a nod.

"Admiral." I said saluting.

"And what did you find?"

"A State of the Art, non-C'tarl designed, C'tarl vessel, one Telepathic C'tarl, one C'tarl who is spread across about 45 light years, one normal C'tarl with a concussion, and one... possibility."

"A Possibility?"

"The Captain is pregnant, and the father is not C'tarl." Amelia crossed her hands and sat back in her chair, and finally let out a sigh.

"Don't make me drag it out of you Jim."

"He is human... and his name... is Jim Hawking."

"Well... My. This is an interesting turn of events. What do you intend to do, Captain?"

"How am I to understand my orders without consulting my elders... Admiral?" I asked stonily.

"All things aside Jim, I have known you for almost Ten years. What do you want to do?"

"I want to help her."

"The Captain?"

"No, a member of her crew."

"Will you tell me?"

"...No."

"All right then. Do you think helping this crew, this ship, will fulfill the prophecy?"

"Yes."

"So we help them?"

"Yes... Amelia... We help them."

* * *

**Lanaya's Third Email**

Laina;

So much has happened... but where to start?

It's been confirmed, Aisha IS pregnant, and the Baby could only be Jim's'. Then we were attacked by Pirates, and I had been fighting them with Frizko, but then he got knocked out, and within moments, I was contacted by a GALLEON!!! It was... a boat that sailed the stars. The pirate was blown to bits by it's solar cannons.

The Captain, who's name is Jim Hawkins (???) has decided to help us. Which is good because I don't want to have to wait two more days before I can leave these coordinates. We'll be headed for home next, back to the C'tarl home world.

She's at least three months along... while a normal C'tarl term is actually eight months, I think this might take longer. We need to get her back to him before the last trimester. Which means we have three more months...

So which is better, get her home early, or right in time. I don't foresee any problems reintegrating into the crew, even with you there... but there is a chance I won't be there to see it.

Talk to you later.

Lanaya.

* * *

**Frizko**

Aisha's mood swings had gotten both better and worse. She spent more time in a better mood, but was much more deadly when she was angered. The only one she was never able to faze, however, and the one she was most desperately trying to get a rise out of, was Lanaya. Why? Anyone's guess.

I knew Aisha held a deep resentment for our father, and to be honest, I couldn't blame her, but I forgive him on a daily basis for his sins. From the moment we landed, however, I felt something was wrong.

Our next mission was in two weeks, so, strangely, the Navy gave us the time off.

Then we realized it wasn't so strange when our father welcomed us home.

Whenever she was in a room and our father entered, the physical temperature decreased at least five degrees, noticeable to anyone, and then she stood and left, without sparing a glance at him. Lanaya and I stopped him from following her three times.

We relaxed for the first week, for the most part. The first day, Captain Hawkins appeared on our doorstep, and offered us a tour of the Legacy. The four of us spent time together that first week going from place to place, or playing games (They tended to pit me and my sister against Jim and Lanaya... did she do that on purpose?). In the second week, we went to some museums. It was near the end of the second week when she ran into someone very interesting. Lanaya was off doing who knows what with the captain of the Legacy, and I was on my way back to Aisha when I recognized who was next to her.

He noticed her first.

"Planet-potentiary Clan-clan, I believe?"

"Councilor Nebol, what are you doing here?"

"Well Aisha, to be honest, and we should always strive to be honest, I came to talk to you."

"Me, Councilor?"

"Nebol, please, I'm not here in any official capacity. Quite the opposite, actually. May we walk?"

"Actually, I'd rather sit... I've been walking for a while." I could tell she was feeling queasy from it too.

So they took a seat on a nearby bench, and then Nebol asked Aisha; "Have you had the opportunity, these past three months, to wonder why it took so long for the council to send for you?"

"I've tried to hard not to. I'm afraid of the answer."

"Why?"

"Because the only one I could think of meant I was abandoned by the empire until my father realized his baby girl was gone."

"So you think you're father told us to go get you?"

"It's the only thing I've been able to think of that made sense."

"Would the opposite make any sense?"

"That My father made you leave me there for five years?" he nodded. "I suppose that's possible, but not likely... I hope..."

"What about one of the council? Might we all have forgotten you until one day one of my contemporaries realized; 'Gee, now where did we leave Aisha, she would be perfect for this mission?'"

"I admit that is a possibility." She leaned back, and tried to stretch, but then changed her mind. She was wearing loose fitting clothes she would have worn on Sentinel, but she didn't want the council to know of her state. "So which is it Nebol? My father or the council, I'm asking you point blank, and you do always strive to be honest."

He stood up, and replied to her; "I would tell you Aisha, but you already know. You know which of those three scenarios it was... You've known the truth all along. You need to admit that you know it." He handed her a sheaf of papers. "The _Deraloven_ is an apology for the five years we left you away from your people, Aisha. This is my gift to you."

He then walked away.

* * *

**Lanaya**

Aisha had erected a barrier in her mind that I bet only Jim could have gotten around, if him. she maintained a state of abstract though and heavy concentration after Hawkins, Frizko and I found her sitting on the bench. I looked at Frizko, and he gave me the story.

We dragged Aisha to the car where she could be comfortable while she thought, and the rest of us did some stuff downtown. I took Jim to an Antique shop.

"What could you possibly hope to find in here?" I was looking at the display cases behind the counter.

"That." I said pointing at the Caster Blaster. a hundred and fifty thousand Wong. "I want that, and how many shells do you have?"

"Shells sell for five hundred each." the clerk said as the Ammo was brought up. I handed him my military ID, which worked for my debit card, and he rang up the Blaster, 20 shells and a belt to hold them.

"A hundred and sixty thousand Wong? I wouldn't have paid that much for a car, let alone a gun and some shells."

"Wait until you see it in action before you judge it." I said as I loaded the shells into the belt. "I'm worried about Aisha," I said as I holstered the Blaster.

"I wonder who that was walking away from her?"

"One of the Naval Council. He gave her a great deal to think about... and when she admits that Nebol was right... There is going to be trouble."

"Why?"

"Because when she understands the truth, someone, or maybe more than someone, will die." Just then Frizko whistled. When we looked at him he pointed to his wrist, then shrugged apologetically. "I gotta go. Veruse has a dinner planned, and if I am not there... Well... I'll call you tomorrow, all right?"

"When are the three of you planning on leaving again?"

"Our mission begins in two days... but I don't think it will be that long. We may be in a hurry when we leave."

* * *

**Frizko**

Naturally, Aisha, being who she is, the sum of every choice she has made in her life, could not sit still on the questions Nebol had asked of her. The council, or her father.

I had no trouble seeing what was coming, so I plunked myself between my sister and our father. Lanaya wished she could have done it, but she knew I was better off there.

I am honestly impressed with the control my sister has developed in the last five years... had she been given this information before the Galactic Leyline, she would have simply ripped his head off. Today she held her peace through our father's attempts to converse with her and throughout dinner.

Good things never last... do they?

"For Five years," Aisha began, staring at the center of the table, "I have lived on Sentinel III. You have known this as well as the Council has known this, and while officially, my mission was to be looking for data on the Galactic Leyline, the C'tarl ship that entered before us should have been able to relay to you that it moved and left no forwarding address, not to mention my report on the mission, so, unofficially, I was an exile.

"Which was all right. Because I had decided to crew a small ship by the name of _Outlaw Star_. I was one of five crew members, which included a Bio-android, two human males, and one gold-class assassin. Gene Starwind, the Captain, his now Wife, Melfina, the astrogator, Jim Hawking, our tactician, and Suzuka Twylight and myself... Something like security officers.

"In all these five years, I waited, sometimes patiently, sometimes impatiently, for the single sheet of paper that said I was going home... here, ironically enough.

"And now I am here." she said as she began to look around the room. I spared a glance at my father. he seemed confused.

_He's not going to survive this, will he?_ I shot a glance at Lanaya.

_Just wait... we may get lucky._

What can save his skin? Which she had no reply to.

"And why, for five YEARS have I been left to crew The _Outlaw Star_? Let me ask you something Admiral... How many people owe you favors?" she said as she swung an almost feral glare at him.

"More than I can conveniently count, why?"

"Because you wasted five of them to keep me away from home, and I want to know..." She stood from her chair, and walked around me, to glare down at our father from her natural height of six foot flat, "Why you did it."

"And what makes you think I used any of my influence-" She moved so fast I couldn't have stopped her if I had wanted to, a solid right hook, well delivered.

"Wrong answer, father."

"Aisha!"

"Not now, Frizko. I am having a conversation with my father." she said without moving her gaze from his face. "Care to try again, father? Why did you leave me on Sentinel III for five years?"

"Sir," Lanaya said, "If you don't answer her, she will kill you, but if you do, I can... well I can't promise you that she won't kill you anyway... but you have a better chance of surviving if you just tell her the truth."

"Very well." he said tightly. "I admit that I did call in some favors to keep you from the home world, though it didn't take me anywhere near five, I managed it using only three. I had hoped the time away might mature your temperament. How sad I am to find I was wrong."

Aisha stood there, her eyes closed, but tears spilling out at our father's matter of fact statement.

"You weren't wrong Admiral... but you made a mistake. That is now my home." she said, and hit him once more. This in the gut, robbing him of his wits as he slumped to the floor.

"Wow." Lanaya said. Aisha then turned to us.

"I am taking my ship, and going home. Anyone care to join me?"

Lanaya nodded immediately. I simply asked, "As if I'd let you leave without a keeper?"

"Thank you. I'll file my resignation from the heliopause." We nodded at that, and then returned to our rooms to gather what little we needed.

* * *

**Aisha**

In my room, when I got to it... I found I had... nothing. Not even my photo album, that was on the _Deraloven_. I tossed what few changes of clothes I had in a bag, and left without a backwards glance at the picture on my bedside table, one of my blood family.

But my family was either coming with me, or would be waiting for me when I got there.

_Here I come Jim._

* * *

**Jim**

This time, instead of despair, I felt an excitement. At least I wasn't in the middle of a fight this time. I was in my bed, trying to sleep... What would make her so happy? I tried to reach out to her as we slept, but she wasn't reaching for me, so I fell short... maybe if we were spatially closer, like twenty light years apart, I could reach her without her reaching for me...

But she was on the C'tarl home world. So what could excite her there? What could make her... happy?

I was awake again, so I pulled my laptop to me, and continued to research the C'tarl culture, even though the Jewelry box on my dresser waited only for her to come home... So we could have a family, there was still tons to learn about her people.

* * *

**Lanaya**

The _Deraloven_ and the _Legacy_ sailed the stars side by side, with little to get in their way but space. And What space would dare to defy such craft? Both ships were works of art to my mind. The _Outlaw Star_ was also an art work, seen through Aisha's memories, she loved that ship, because, to her, it was home.

A home; a place to hang you hat, a place to store your love, a place to be... Who you were born to be. A very rare place where you can love and be loved without thought.

When Jim showed us the Legacy, I couldn't stop the thought, _This could be my home..._ nor could I drown the sense of longing that thought evoked.

Was it my lot in life to merely drift the stars? Or was I meant for more than that? Where do I want to be?

_In the arms of the one I love._

I closed my eyes, and clenched my teeth and fists.

_You are thinking about it too much, Lanaya, and you woke me up... You know how tired I've been getting lately._

I'm sorry Aisha. How do you feel? Do you need anything?

Sleepy, and sleep. Everything else is secondary.

Then sleep. I thought to her with a sad smile.

I stood on the bridge, staring out at the Legacy, thinking about home, and looking forward to meeting Jim Hawking face to face.

I reached behind me to my terminal, and asked to speak to Captain Hawkins.

"He has retired for the night," said the com cyborg, Kobal. "Will there be a message?"

"No, thank you."

I retired to the central chair, the proper place for the ranking officer on duty, and sat.

With my eyes closed I fled my body, and first went to check on Aisha; she was fine, dreaming of Jim... Them on a picnic with the baby wrapped in a purple blanket. I smiled, and decided to get her just that for the baby-day gift.

Frizko, when I checked on him, was awake, and reading a report on mathematics. Chaos theory. stuff like _When y = z, but only if K = -(1/3)-(({4510.237}37)/63)8_ flying across his mind. I giggled, and he raised an ear. He looked around his room, and finally turned back to his report.

I sailed across the void then, stopping first at Calistis.

_[And why does she hang on to him all the time?]_ she thought with a very small dose of jealousy. The she was me, but I didn't understand what she was thinking about.

The Admiral and her husband were dreaming together, but they were dreaming in NC-21, so I left them alone.

Finally, I found Jim.

He wasn't asleep. he was staring at something in his hand. Suddenly, he got a half smile on his face.

_What's the matter Lanaya? Can't sleep?_ he asked as he put it away, whatever it was.

_I'm on duty, and I woke Aisha once already. Are you really awake?_

I doubt it, but there are many levels of being both awake and asleep. I can only explain about four.

Please do?

All right... he told me about the wakefulness levels he had discovered, and every hour or so I would open my eyes and check on the _Deraloven_, but we continued to talk that night, until the next shift.

Hew scoffed, _Thanks. Now I get to be asleep for MY shift._

It's your ship, and Aisha will be on Duty here... Thank you Jim... for keeping me company.

It's all right. Sweet dreams, Lanaya.

And to you when you get to have them.

Back on the bridge, Aisha was frowning at me, or rather, was trying to.

I stood up, put my nose in the air and made my way to my quarters. Her laughter echoed through the halls.

* * *

**Laina**

Lanaya had sent me an e-mail telling me what was up, but Jim was not made aware of the fact. I did all this research for him, on the biological health and development for boys and girls in C'tarl and human species... there was no information on the hybrid species, which was just wonderful, though expected. Another new frontier.

But anyway, I don't think Jim was aware that it has been done for him, he just sits at his computer tapping away. Except for when I drag him outside.

"Did you skim through that research I gave you?"

"Yeah. My question is;" he then ducked a punch, and countered with one of his own, "How long before SHE knew did you? And how did you?"

"Three months and two weeks ago Lanaya began to suspect, she warned me to keep an eye on you... it was a very vague warning... I can show you the e-mail later." I planted a kick in his side.

"It was too vague to be of help, but what she didn't say in her letter, the things I'm best at seeing, are what warned me."

"I... See..." he gasped.

"How was that for a warm up?" I asked facetiously.

* * *

**B.E.N**

"Permission granted for geo-synchronous orbit of the _RLS Legacy II_ over the following coordinates." I absorbed the coordinates, and reported to the captain.

"Our parking spot has been reserved captain."

"Excellent, Ben, please take us in. Kobal, I want you to arrange a shore leave schedule. We'll be here for at least two weeks. Two people on board at all times. Calistis?"

[Yes sir?]

"Ready a skiff."

[Aye Captain.]

"Also grab my board out of my cabin if you would please?"

[Aye Captain.]

"Thank you Calistis."

"Jim?" The admiral asked, addressing me without rank.

"Yes Amelia?" I responded in kind.

"You brought your solar surfer with you?"

"After what happened on Treasure Planet? I never go anywhere without at least one. though I keep a back up one in the boat bay."

"Then why bring yours?"

"Because, mine is better than my back up, Amelia."

"I see. Very well then captain. Should we be needed in the next two weeks, Delbert and I will be missing, so try not to need us."

Jim smiled, "Very well Admiral. See you in two weeks."

"By Jim."

"By Amelia." The first skiff left the ship and headed for the distant city.

"Have fun Delbert!" I hollered after them.

Everyone was so deep in the routines of weighing anchor as I looked around at them, that no one noticed Kobal bring Jim a sheet of paper with everyone on two day shifts, so there were two different people on the ship every day, with the exception of Jim and myself, Jim because he was the captain, and tended to do whatever he wanted, though that was normally on the ship anyway, and me, because I'm never too far from Jim's side, unless he orders me to stay behind.

Jim nodded, approving the schedule, and then we made our way to the boat bay where Calistis waited by the second skiff.

* * *

**Jim**

When I woke that morning, I felt something I had not felt in the longest time... So long, in fact, that I could not, immediately, place it, but then an old urge hit me, and after breakfast, I went to the park.

My silent laptop held to my back, all research hidden from me for now, and my communicator was dead anyway... forgot to charge it last night... Oops. Not that they couldn't find me anyway if they needed to, Laina could always pinpoint me.

But why did I need to be here?

I looked around, taking my time in getting to my destination, for while I felt I wanted to be there, verging on need, I was not in any hurry to get there, so I must have had time.

I sat on top of a picnic table, and looked around. It was a Saturday morning, and there were people who were playing with their children, there was a whole group off on the field playing soccer, while there were adults pushing seven year old and less on swings. I don't think they were all parents and children. some of them could have been aunts and uncles.

Finally, I stood up and went over to the bridge.

Inside, I looked over the cave for a while, but nothing had changed... a little bit of dust, but nothing that wasn't cleanable.

"I haven't been here in four months."

"I believe it," she said. "It must have been lonely."

"It was... but... You're worth it." I said as I turned to face her. She was wearing the green dress she had bought to see my reaction. I smiled at her and held my hand out to her, "Aisha, may I say that you look absolutely beautiful in that dress. It really brings out your eyes."

She smiled and blushed a little as she walked over and took my hand, "Thank you, Jim," she said as she gave me a kiss.

I hugged her, and picked her up, twirling her around, which got a shout of glee out of her.

Aisha was home... and everything was right in the world.

* * *

**Narrator**

I wish I could end this story right here... and I could do just that, but then, what will happen to Jim Hawkins and Laina? not to mention Frizko and the _Deraloven_?

Not to mention Jim and Aisha's kid?!

Mwa hahaha...

* * *

**Laina**

Introductions had been interesting when they first landed, because Aisha did not pass go, did not collect 200 Wong, and left no note, but simply left, so it was up to Lanaya and I first to introduce ourselves, and then to introduce everyone else.

"As a thank you for helping me out, In keeping those two out of trouble,  
This is a gift for you, to thank you I would have paid double," she said, and handed me a box. Inside was a Caster Blaster.

"Guns are not the weapon I choose  
Even a Magic gun can't guarantee that I won't lose.  
So My weapon, it was never meant to be,  
But maybe you have a use for it, Just maybe..." I sighted down the barrel, and noticed/sensed it was off to the left by about a one millionth of a degree.

"Very Nice, thank you Lanaya Cait-Lyn, No longer Dancher, correct?"

"Correct, Laina Jamin, a pleasure to meet you.  
This is Aisha's brother Frizko, a part of my crew."

"Hello, Laina Jamin," I said as I took my hand, "Strongest fighter on the planet."

He smiled, and folded his arms, "That'll change."

"A challenge?" I asked with a half smile. Then shook my head, "Maybe later. But I will remember, I promise.

"Laina, Frizko, Melfina Starwind, Mel, Aisha's best friend and brother, Lanaya and Frizko."

"Do you normally eat as much as Aisha first did?" They both blinked, confused. "Unless Jim and Aisha beat me to it, I cook, so I was just wondering."

"It'll probably change anyway, eventually... You really aren't human?" Lanaya asked.

Mel shook her head, "Bio-Android; Artificial Life form."

"Cool." Frizko said, looking at her.

"Gene and Suzuka are both on a mission right now, so for now, we are on our own."

* * *

**Frizko**

As she said that, My wrist com went off; Some one was knocking on the hull of the _Deraloven_. Most likely Jim... I pressed a button, "Who is it?"

"Captian Hawkins, is Lanaya here?"

"Come up to the building, we're inside."

"Right."

"Lanaya," I turned to her She looked at me, her eyebrows raised. I tossed my head to the back, "Door's for you."

Then he knocked.

Melfina started to cook a welcome home feast for her errant crew mate, which left Laina and myself alone.

She looked at me for a while, and finally nodded to herself, "Twenty three."

"How'd you know that?"

"I'm an observer, so while you look bigger than the glimpse I got of Aisha, I can tell that you're not as old... Speaking of whom, do you think we should go get them?"

"Might be a bad Idea." She smiled.

"So true. Well, to fill empty time, shall I show you around?"

"Sure." She looked around her.

"This is the living room, Jim's room is over there, Upstairs," she pointed up to the balcony over the living room, "Is Suzuka's room, my room, the bathroom, and Gene and Mel's room." I said, pointing to each door.

"We're going to have to expand this building, aren't we..."

* * *

**Jim**

We got home a half hour before supper to find Laina and Frizko arguing over a card game, Lanaya was nowhere to be seen Gene was in the Shower, Suzuka sat at the table chatting with Mel, who was still cooking.

Aisha tapped her brother on the shoulder, when she had his attention, she asked him; "Where is Lanaya?"

"With Hawkins." He turned back to Laina, but she grabbed the neck of his shirt, and dragged him back to face her again.

"Allow me to rephrase that; go find her, please. Supper is almost done."

He sighed then glared at me. Finally, he turned to Laina; "Excuse me for a moment please." We continued over to my room, our hands probably seemed, to everyone else, like they were stuck together with epoxy. I asked her to wait outside while I got the jewelry box, and put it in my pocket.

We took our places at the table, and waited for everyone to come in and sit down. None of Laina, Lanaya or Frizko were allowed to feel out of place, for this was a family event, and the fact that they were present made them family.

We each took turns talking, and we weren't ready to go to bed before midnight, but just as everyone was beginning to break up, I called them all back, and presented Aisha with a pair of diamond ear rings, and asked her to marry me. Turns out that is C'tarl culture, only married women can have their ears pierced, so instead of an engagement ring, they have engagement earrings.

"I would love nothing more than to have a family with you, Jim," she said throwing my words back at me.

I smiled and Kissed her. _I'll get you back for that._

I hope so, she said as we broke the kiss.

Lanaya and Frizko went back to the _Deraloven_, I waved them on. Suzuka disappeared as she usually did, Gene and Mel left, and Laina was on their heels.

Aisha and I went to my room, and we laid down together on my twin sized bed.

_We need to go shopping for a bigger bed tomorrow._ A nod was replied as we drifted off to sleep in each others arms.

* * *

**Laina**

I clapped my hands free of dust and looked over our work with pride. We had done a good job, and I knew it, though I really think we should have made a third couples quarters.

When Aisha first got back, I decided that Gene and Jim were going to need family quarters, so I designed an expansion to the building.

So for three weeks, Jim Hawking, Aisha Clan-clan-Hawking (Engaged Title, when they get married, she'll be Aisha Hawking), Jim Hawkins, Ben (When they were here, they had to leave a week ago, but would be back in three more weeks approx.), Lanaya Cait-lyn, Frizko Clan-clan, and myself (All Starwind and Hawking could really spare to the effort) heaved, sweated, and worked to build five rooms, Three on ground level, and two above, both of which were accessible from the Living room of the Original building, and outside.

While we were at it, we also built external stairs to the three rooms on the second level of the original building.

As I normally did, I watched everyone as they worked. Lanaya went out of her way to work on the same task as Captain Hawkins, and I noticed he responded on the same wavelength, bordering on psychic. Then I remembered that Lanaya was psychic, so I tried not to read too much into it.

Frizko and I still haven't fought, but I knew that it would come in good time. I wasn't going to fight him on the planet.

Aisha and Jim were never more than twenty feet from each other, and all ways making lover-eyes at each other, it was sickening!

"You have to cut them some slack," Gene told me one evening before we finished the extension, "They are in love."

"There is love, and then there is THAT."

"You've never been in love before, or you'd know that there is no difference." I only shook my head. "Well... One day, you might figure it out... maybe sooner than you think." he said and glanced around the room, then got up and left. I rolled my eyes, turned and bumped into Frizko.

"Excuse me, after you." he said, and then motioned for me to continue on.

* * *

**Lanaya**

Aisha was at five and a half months, give or take a week.

Jim, MY Jim, Hawkins, would be back within a month... maybe I should wave him off... I can't even consider leaving until Aisha's delivered. Well, he should probably already know that, but I'll tell him when we join dreams tonight...

Finally, someone I can share a Dream Stage with... I wonder if only psychics can set up a dream-stage, thus... soulmates are automatically capable of communicating no matter how far apart they are... Something else to think about. One of these days I'll have to write a paper on psychic capabilities of humans... Interesting, a paper about humans, written by a C'tarl.

Aisha is important to me, she's family. but Jim is taking a place in my heart too. Laina doesn't understand.

Speaking of whom, nine times out of ten, Frizko and said person are seen debating about one thing or another... rather interesting, really. I don't suppose anything will really happen until they get a chance to fight though... More is the pity.

"It's going to happen sooner than you think Lanaya," Aisha said, holding out a sheet of paper to me. "I want you, Laina, and Frizko to take care of this with the _Deraloven_."

I took the sheet of paper, and absorbed the assignment; Pick up some cargo and passengers, transport them to Maredo IV.

"Who is your money on?" I asked her.

"Jim says I'm underestimating her, but I say it will end in a draw." I smiled at my friend, and she smiled back.

"Cool." I said, and stood to gather my crew.

* * *

**Laina**

The whole trip would take a week, and the passengers were going to be underfoot... Dear GOD I am looking foreword to the last leg, when I can meditate again. And the trip hadn't even started yet!

I frowned at the C'tarl control panel in front of me, and then used another magic trick; I closed my eyes and gathered energy around them, and when I opened them, the C'tarl on the board in front of me was translated into Basic.

"That's a cute trick," Lanaya said from the Captain's chair.

"It's a waste of energy." I corrected. "But I don't know C'tarl, and don't really want to. So I'm stuck."

"Does it waste a lot?"

"It doesn't take much but it's constant."

"Spaceport to _Deraloven_," The Comm. squeaked.

I put the earpiece in and responded; "This is the _Deraloven_, requesting permission for departure to the City Dock."

"Permission for departure to the City Dock granted. Reminder that liftoff permission must be requested separately."

_Do I need permission to rip you to shreds?_ "Reminder noted." I said and slammed the channel shut.

Five unGodly hours later, we were able to take off. _T minus one week... and counting._

* * *

**Jim Hawkins**

She appeared on deck from the galley, though I had been certain that I was here by myself.

_I'm sorry to bother you Jim, but I needed to ask you some things. I'll try to make this as short as possible._

So this is a Dream Stage, huh? One of those things that Jim and Aisha can do at 45 light years apart?

Well, we are about that right now, I think. When will you be on your home planet?

I'm there now actually.

Do you have to get up early tomorrow?

No, I was just going to go buy a ticket to come stay with you for a while.

Really? How long? she asked when I nodded.

_Until I can convince you to come back with me, I suppose._ I said, and brought my hand up to her face, holding it She closed her eyes and leaned into it. _I just wanted to let you know... how I feel. and I wanted to be sure we were ALONE when I did it._

Yeah, not something you really get at Starwind and Hawking, huh?

I shook my head, and leaned foreword to kiss her, and she met me halfway.

Three days later, I woke up feeling really good. I would go back to Sentinel III, until Aisha had delivered her Baby, and then, Lanaya and I would come back, together.

* * *

**Jim**

_So which would you rather have,_ Aisha asked after we were curled up for bed, _A boy or a girl?_

A girl.

Why? I tried to frame a response in words, but failed miserably, so I tried to frame it in emotions, and failed again.

_Beauty, love, power, potential... I think a girl would have a bit more potential, but I don't know why._ She only nodded. _What about you?_ she smiled.

_A boy. A perfect little baby boy to remind me of his father every time I see him, and how much I love them both._ I smiled and kissed her.

_And how about a name for you perfect little baby boy?_ she had to think about that.

_Light of love; Reylovan Hawking. and your daughter, so full of potential?_

Which made ME stop and think.

_Raine Hawking._

_Raine?_

A name to grow into. I thought with a shrug.

_I like that._

We spent our days working on computer systems, something a lot of our clients wanted, and something I knew Aisha could help me with... I think I was annoying her, being, perhaps, a little overprotective, but Lanaya was backing me up when she was with us.

_I still think you should go see a doctor._

We're not going to find a C'tarl doctor on this planet, Jim.

But the baby is Human too, don't forget. She smiled at me then.

_Does it really concern you that much?_

There is no data on a Human-C'tarl hybrid anywhere... I want to KNOW that our baby will be born, and be born healthy. She looked at me for a time, and finally nodded.

_All right then. Tomorrow, we'll go find a doctor... All right?_

Thank you.

* * *

**Aisha**

I thought he was being overprotective, but he had a point... I wanted our baby to be healthy too.

It took a while to convince the doctor to see me, mostly because I was C'tarl. I finally linked her computer to the _Deraloven_'s Main memory bank, and provided the doctor all the information on my kind that she needed. Finally, she agreed.

She took a stethoscope, and plugged it into a speaker, and began to move it along my stomach.

"So how is the baby?" Jim asked her.

"Babies, plural. Two heartbeats," She added as an afterthought. I focused on the sound coming from the speaker and realized that there were indeed two heartbeats. She looked at Jim.

"You are her... friend?"

"Fiancé," He supplied.

"And these?" she asked, moving the stethoscope around some more.

"Yes, they are his. Human-C'tarl hybrids, both of them." I said.

The Doctor sighed. She ran me through a battery of tests, and finally concluded that, as far as she could tell, both babies were doing fine, but I was to limit myself as much as possible.

"In other words, no fights until the Baby is born, and not for a while afterwards either, most likely."

Which meant that I was stuck with Jim watching me like a hawk while we worked on various computer systems. Well, you can't win them all.

Besides, it wasn't a total loss, I got to learn more about computers... As if that took a priority over spending time with Jim.

* * *

**Frizko**

"Great, she's fried." Laina said as she came back to the bridge.

"For how long?"

"At least two days. Why is she so fried?"

I had an idea, but I wasn't going to say it. "That puts us in port when she wakes, right?"

"Bar Pirates, yeah."

"Cool." She rolled her eyes, and I looked to the forward screen and smiled. She was so easy to annoy, but had more power than any. When we did fight I knew I would probably lose, but the fun is in trying. Putting up your best, against an opponent who is doing the same, that is the purest form of Nirvana. I knew I was looking forward to all the passengers getting off just so I could fight her... but she was off. If she was off in the fight, I would win.

* * *

**Lanaya**

When I woke we were just docking. Maredo IV is actually a gas giant (No comment on a gas Giant in the fourth position, or I'll borrow Laina's Caster.), so the dock was the station above it. Only slightly reminiscent of Blue Heaven, but most of the business here was still gray market. Laina went to try and find some caster shells for her caster, Frizko was out looking for something to read, and I was supervising the unloading of the _Deraloven_.

All told we were there for six hours.

When we left, we headed, not back to Sentinel III, but to an asteroid field that was a bit closer, but would still take us a day and a half to get to. Laina meditated the entire trip, getting herself ready. I sent cameras out ahead of us, to be ready to record the battle, and to make sure no bystanders would be at risk in the battle.

Everyone at Stawind and Hawking would like to see this battle.

* * *

**Frizko**

Lanaya had sent out the cameras, and piggy backing them was an atmosphere generator. Between the eight of them, was a battlefield about a half mile cubed.

"Where did we get those atmosphere generators from?"

"The _Deraloven_, and the C'tarl military." Lanaya responded from the bridge. "Just remember, it doesn't come equipped with gravity, and as good as I am with Telepathy, I have no kinetics to save either of you if you float outside the range of the generators. Got it a'ight?"

"No problem." Laina said. I only nodded. "I promise I'll try not to go above half power." she said to me. We were standing on separate asteroids, and we both wore comfortable practice clothes. If it wouldn't have gotten in our way, I would have liked to use tethers.

Laina's meditation had primed her for this confrontation.

We were ready.

* * *

**Lanaya**

_But are they really? Are they ready,_ I thought to myself, _For what they are about to learn?_

Both started lightly, but within twenty minutes, she passed the quarter mark of her abilities, and he was in the upper reaches of his. The fight just kept going, Frizko taking to trapping since he couldn't take her on at her level.

When I thought she must be reaching half of her power, Frizko got a shot in that might have killed her if she hadn't seen it coming, and while she had been braced, it was just the beginning of the response, so the guard wasn't effective. Her energy level was what saved her.

Her fury exploded from her, soaring high above her halfway point, reaching her upper limits, and he responded, tapping energies he didn't often use... Come to think of it, I wonder when the last time Laina had to use this much of her energy.

_Man, I will be shocked if either of them wake up before we get home._

They were both charged as much as they possibly could, and leaped off their separate rocks directly toward each other. The resulting shockwave sent everything for a thousand meters back a few steps. Laina and Frizko both got lucky, ending up by the cameras, but they were both out cold.

A Stalemate.

* * *

**Laina**

_Where... Am I?_

I looked up from where I lay, and recognized the stars above me... it took me time to realize that there were constellations from both the C'tarl home world, and Earth. And Choling from Sentinel...

I was tired, my mind foggy, but I looked around me, and recognized the form next to me as the one I just battled.

_Frizko?_ I asked sleepily.

_Just five more minutes, Mom._ I smiled, endeared. I nodded, rolled over, and closed my eyes. He pulled me close, and we slept, restfully.

When we woke, we were still in the field near the forest, and the stars were still up.

_Think this is real?_ he asked. I snorted, and shook my head, my eyelids still heavy.

_Nope... It's too beautiful, too... perfect. Almost too bad... it's very restful._ he only nodded. _If I were to guess, I'd say we were on a Dream Stage._

As tired as we were after the battle?

We don't know how long we've been asleep. We could have gotten enough rest, and then forged the link.

Doesn't it concern you that we didn't decided to make the link?

Not right now, and not until I am awake at the very earliest. I said as I leaned back.

_What's your story Laina?_

I let out a bark of laughter. _My story? I don't even know much of my story. One day I'm here, one day I'm there, never in the same place for long... I've killed, and it's not so tough to do, but I still live in faith that one day, I will stay my had from a finishing move. I look like I'm twenty-two, but I'm actually a hundred and twenty-two, give or take._

How is that possible?

In the same way I am the strongest fighter. Normally a human would stand no chance against a C'tarl, but I can beat everyone. I live in hope that one day someone can beat me.

You're a very... spiritual person, aren't you, Laina. I smiled at that, and turned to look at him.

_Not that anyone notices._

So why are you alive after so long?

An experiment that failed. A mixture of science and Tao magic... I don't know the details. All I know is that here I am.

* * *

**Jim**

"For the first time in the time that I have known her, she was relaxed! I wish I could have heard what they were talking about." Lanaya told us. We had watched the video, and I was glad I hadn't bet Aisha over the victor, because I was so sure Laina was going to drop kick him into next century. They were still asleep on the _Deraloven_.

"What do you mean talking?"

"A Dream Stage had been forged about a day after the battle. It's still in place even now. they are so physically close together it doesn't drain them like it did you when you were forty light years apart."

"I didn't think Laina was psychic?" Aisha wondered aloud.

"She's not, she told me she was Empathic."

"Your not psychic either Jim, what's your point?"

"How can I not be, I talk to Aisha in our minds all the time?"

"Yes, you do, but your telepathy goes directly to her, likewise, yours, Aisha, goes mostly to him, although, you can read me when I broadcast. That must be his influence."

"So when are they going to wake up?"

"As soon as their batteries are fully charged. They used reserves they are not used to using, so it will be a few days yet." Lanaya stood and walked away then, and I stood and stretched.

"Good thing Laina didn't use her caster."

"You can't use weapons if you are fighting hand to hand, it's a matter of honor on both their parts." Aisha said from where she looked at the screen of my laptop.

"Good point. Can I get you anything?"

"Tea, please," she looked up at me with a smile. I smiled in response, and went to get us both some tea.

* * *

**Suzuka**

The next morning, Jim had decided that we hadn't sparred in a while, so asked to.

"I'm afraid I'm getting out of practice." He said as he picked up his bokuto.

And he was right. he was out of practice, but put up a good fight. So that became a routine. Due to her pregnancy, Aisha slept a lot, so Jim put his mornings to good use sparring with either myself, Laina, Lanaya, or Frizko. The only one he beat consistently was Lanaya.

"I'm a pilot, not a fighter, put me in a ship, and I'll be better off."

"Too bad we don't have the Ammo to waste."

For fear of setting off her often volatile, and potentially deadly, mood swings, none of these matches were mentioned in Aisha's presence.

Jim Hawkins returned, and continued to spend much of his time with Lanaya, including taking the _Deraloven_ on missions. Since Starwind and Hawking now had two ships, we were able to accept more space work, it paid better than body guard missions, car jobs and computer jobs. It was mostly cargo missions, occasionally a passenger would accompany the cargo. Thankfully Gene normally went with Mel, Laina and Frizko in the Outlaw Star, leaving Tug assignments to Lanaya, Hawkins, and myself. So if both Ships were gone, Jim and Aisha were left to fend for themselves.

So for the remaining months of Aisha's term, things went quietly and well. Perhaps it was an apology for the first part of her term.

Then came an assignment that required two fighters. The Outlaw Star was gone and would not be back for three days, it was vital to move within the next two hours. Aisha told Jim and I to go.

"Lanaya and Hawkins can keep watch on me all right, and the doctor says we have another week at least, so go, get some energy out of your system." she said with a self-pitying smile.

"I'll be back by tomorrow morning." he said, and kissed her soundly.

"This is a Bounty Mission?" Jim asked once we were on the road.

"Yes, a man known as the Gunslinger. He is a Cyborg with enhanced reflexes, so if we land more than three hits on him out of fifteen, we can count ourselves better than those who have come before us.

"Is this gonna be a range battle?" he asked, startled.

"No. I will draw his fire while you come into close quarters combat."

"Are you sure?"

"I am a swordswoman Jim, You are a fighter, you have a better chance of getting your three shots in and knocking him out."

* * *

**Jim**

We drove into some mountains, and finally had to hoof it.

We had been walking for all of three minutes before a shot in front of my left toe effectively stopped me.

"You are not welcome here." the Gunslinger called out in a monotone voice that seemed to come from everywhere. We looked at each other and nodded. I headed back the way we came and she began to draw his fire.

I swung the long way around him, and almost got the jump on him. Without facing away from Suzuka, he pulled a second shotgun and fired with deadly accuracy.

_Now that could have hurt._ I thought as I charged him and hit him four times in the chin. He fell, and Suzuka came up to me.

"Jim, are you all right?"

"Sure... I'm fine."

"Jim..." She shook her head, and grabbed the gunslinger, disabling him. Then she helped me to the car. _Why am I so weak?_ I thought to myself. She took us to a hospital, without going back for the Gunslinger, and I finally got the thought that maybe he hadn't missed.

I looked down at myself, and saw the filigree pattern where the shotgun had hit my chest at point blank range.

_Aisha's gonna kill me... With Suzuka for dessert._ I thought as I passed out.

* * *

**Lanaya**

We were all watching a movie in Aisha's front room, when suddenly she gasped. Her head jerked back into the chair, and she had a shocked expression on her face as if she wondered what happened, but her thought was; _How did that happen?_

I tried to feel the damage that Jim had just experienced, but my guess was that only she would get it.

She finally relaxed, and was gasping for breath.

"Lanaya?" Jim Hawkins asked me.

"Jim Hawking has been shot."

"...At point blank range... with a shotgun..." Aisha said between gasps. "Suzuka is taking him to the hospital." I nodded and was dialing up Jim's car.

"We are on our way to Point Grace Regional." Suzuka said by way of hello.

"That's over three hours away!" I said as I pinpointed it on my internal map.

"It's only two minutes from where I am though. Can one of you get here to watch Jim while I go back and get the Gunslingers' bounty?"

"I can be there in ten minutes... If I know where I'm going."

"Then both of you go." Aisha said from where she sat in her recliner. "Jim is in trouble. If anything goes wrong with me, I'll call for an ambulance." She said as she closed her eyes.

* * *

**Aisha**

Jim got his Board out of the room he shared with Lanaya and they both got on it, and flew for the stars.

I was worried about Jim... Scared to death. For the first time in about over a year, I couldn't feel his presence in my mind, his love.

And I wasn't supposed to seek it.

Jim was full of the stress of keeping himself alive until he got to the hospital... when I realized he had been shot... I tried to block the trauma from my own body... If I hadn't been PREGNANT!

We both wanted healthy babies, but if it weren't for them, I wouldn't have had to block him out... The Stress is bad for the Babies.

_DMN IT JIM!_

I lasted for all of three minutes, I should be proud of myself... But Jim... is more of an extension of myself, than he is anything else... after everything that has happened to us. I can't CLOSE the link that sustains me even in our darkest hour.

* * *

**Jim**

The Dreamscape forged this time was darker, more menacing. The calm before the storm.

_JIM!_ I turned to see her, looking radiant, but in pain. I ran to her.

_Aisha, you shouldn't be here...!_ I said, clenching her hand tightly to me.

I know! but I can't block you out any more than I can... cut my hair. Come here, Please? She said, and drew me into a hug, and I knew what she was doing instantly.

She was healing me again, just like she had to the bruise Suzuka had landed on me so long ago.

_Aisha!_

The Babies are going to need two parents Jim. If they come a little earlier than we expected, at least there will be two of us to help them through it. she said, and rushed all of her energy into me, stretching her reserves all the way to cover me.

After what could have been centuries or moments, but was probably only hours, the sky brightened to the quarter of morning that normally brightened our Dream Stages.

Aisha and I were sleeping in the physical world, and were almost asleep in the Dream Stage as well until she felt a sharp pain. Her hand flew to her stomach. followed, more decorously, by the other hand. She curled in on herself, and gasped.

_Jim...?_ she asked, looking at me, _I think it's time._

I smiled at her and told her, _I'll be there as soon as I can, all right? _She smiled back at me, and we withdrew from the Dream Stage.

* * *

**Lanaya**

From the moment I got there, I watched Aisha and Jim work together to save him while the doctors looked on in amazement as the drugs they administered produced unheard of and impossible affects in the scatter-shot patient.

Finally, Jim's body heaved a sigh of relief as the last wound closed. For a long time he lie there, a smile on his face, and Aisha's aura with him.

When they had finished, I shook my head, and sent Jim Hawkins back to HQ.

_Why?_

Aisha's about to have her babies, Suzuka is currently MIA, and I have to watch over Jim.

When he woke a short time later, he told me what I already knew, and I told him that Hawkins would be there in another minute and a half to take her to her doctor.

"Then how soon can I be out of here?"

* * *

**Suzuka**

The Outlaw Star was landing just as the Parade got home. Jim and Aisha each came in carrying a car seat. Lanaya and Jim Hawkins were carrying in everything else that was necessary. The parade marched into Jim and Aisha's apartment.

I had gotten lucky, the Gunslinger was still out by the time I had gotten back to him, so I was able to turn him in for the reward. We had over a dozen mission requests waiting on the desktop of Starwind and Hawking Inc, due to the lack of activity over the last three days.

Jim had been shot all of three days ago, and the babies were none the worse for their mother's expenditure of energy just before their birth. If anything, I'd guess the opposite.

The babies, while undeniably small, were exceedingly healthy. Eventually Raine and her younger brother Reyloven would prove to enjoy demonstrating their health, usually when everyone else in the compound was sound asleep. Fortunately Laina had thought of that and made sure their entire apartment was well sound-proofed, so the only ones who usually woke with them was their mother and father.

Frizko set land speed records, I think, in going to meet his niece and nephew. Everyone else came by to admire the babies, but left after short order when they realized how tired the two parents were.

While everyone drifted in and out of their apartment, I started organizing the mission requests waiting for us, That done I went to our Starwind and Hawking Inc.'s internet site. On our home page, I added another job to the list of what we were available for;

Day Care.

* * *

**Narrator - The End**

Well, I think that does it for this chapter, what questions could I have possibly missed? Jim and Aisha are exhausted, but happy, and together forever. I will NOT write a wedding, that would be way too funny, and I would not be able to do it justice.

I WILL be doing a third Chapter... This one will mostly be about the Twins, Raine and Reylovan, but don't expect it for a long time, at least a year, I refuse to limit it to chapter format, and drag things out. At this point in time, I can't imagine a fourth chapter, but anything is possible. A Story for Hawkins and Lanaya is not out of the question, but you'll have to wait on my muse as well as I will.

See you next Story; DSeer


End file.
